Former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe was on Saturday March 1, 2025 treated to a state banquet by the Abia State Government, which rolled out the drums to celebrate the Abia South Senator’s 70th birthday anniversary.
Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio praised the Abia Governor, Alex Otti for “playing good politics” by staging a huge celebration for Abaribe, who belongs to a rival political party, 4he All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA).
He said that Otti, who is a Labour Party Governor was making a political investment which would yield huge dividends should he decide to seek for second term in office come 2027.
The state government had in February used the same venue, the International Conference Centre, Umuahia to stage the same huge celebration for the birthday celebration of Senator Adolphus Wabara, the Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).
Senator Akpabio, who led other members of the National Assembly to celebrate one of the longest-serving Senators in Nigeria currently, profusely praised Abaribe for his principled stand on issues and steadfastness on any cause he believes in.
He described Abaribe as “a counsellor, prophet, a lover of humanity, a man of integrity, who loves his people, and can take risks for his people”.
“We are celebrating a man of astute integrity, a man of grace(who) can sacrifice his all for the peace of Ndigbo and for the peace of Nigeria”, the Senate President said.
Justifying his assertion that Abaribe really loves his people, Ndigbo and “is a risk taker for his people”, Akpabio said that he was astounded like others when the Abia South Senator signed the bail bond for Nnamdi Kanu in April 2017.
He said: “Senator Abaribe, when you signed the bail bond for Nnamdi Kanu, people were shocked and questioned why a Senator would take such risk?
“When I asked you why you did it? You said that you believe strongly that even if he(Kanu) runs away, you can go to prison on his behalf because of what he stands for”.
The Senate President, who was in company of his wife, Unoma, said that Abaribe is a “highly rated” Senator in Nigeria hence Otti should be rest assured that the money spent on celebrating the Abia South Senator is money well spent.
According to him, Otti has through Abaribe won the hearts of Abia South constituents and “when you are going for your second term, you will see that this was money well spent”.
In his address, Governor Otti said that his government has made it a policy to celebrate Abia people who are good and making positive impact for the development of the state and the nation at large.
The Abia chief executive made it clear that the state-organised 70th birthday celebration for Abaribe “is not a political gathering”, adding that “politicians are thinking of next election (while) leaders think of the next generation”.
“So when I’m celebrating people that are worthy of being celebrated, I am not interested in politics, I am not even a regular politician anyway.
“I believe that people worth celebrating should be celebrated and Enyi Abaribe is worth celebrating. We must celebrate our own people who have done well. And Senator Abaribe has done well,” Otti asserted.
“We’re here to celebrate a man who is courageous, selfless, unafraid, and says it the way it is, any time, any day,” he added, noting that any community that does not celebrate its elders is doomed for failure.
The Governor disclosed that he would host similar birthday bashes for some distinguished Abians including politician and elder statesman, Senator Chris Adighije, who is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He also listed two accomplished Abia-born musicians, Bright Chimezie and Paulson Kalu, for state celebration while a posthumous birthday would be staged for Jaja Wachukwu, Nigeria’s first foreign minister.
The celebrant, Senator Abaribe, who also used the occasion to present his book titled “Unbundled” expressed his immense gratitude for the great honour done to him by his State Governor, Senate President, other federal lawmakers and a host of friends and well wishers.
He revealed that he was able to attain the age of 70 because “I’ve decided to let certain things go in life”, adding that it is only with God’s grace that one can reach such age in Nigeria where only 3.02 percent of the population live to reach 70 years.
It was effusion of tributes and eulogies for the man, who has been in the Senate since 2007 transcending from being a Senator for Abia State to a Senator representing the entire South East geopolitical zone.
Dignitaries that graced the event include former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, former Senate President and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, former Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan, among a host of other prominent Nigerians.