TINUBU’S VISIT: Abia Govt Demolishes Abia Hotel Over Alleged Political Vendetta
*Investor Cries Persecution
“The Abia State Government has demolished Abia Hotels Ltd., Umuahia, despite an active court case and a valid 25-year lease. Investor Barr. Randie Ukanwoko alleges political persecution after hosting a programme affiliated with Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu. The incident has sparked outrage over executive overreach and property rights in Abia State.”
The Abia State Government on Saturday, November 29, 2025, began the demolition of Abia Hotels Ltd., Umuahia, a hospitality facility constructed and managed by a private investor, Investment Guarantee Ltd., under a valid 25-year development lease agreement with the state.
Speaking from his hospital bed in the United States, the Managing Director of the company, Barr. Randie Ukanwoko, told journalists that the crisis began shortly after he joined the All Progressives Congress (APC). According to him, several government officials questioned why he chose to align with the APC “despite handling a government-owned asset,” to which he reportedly responded that he had a constitutional right to free association.
Ukanwoko explained that he was later invited by a team led by the General Manager of the Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA), Kingsley Agomuo, for a review of the lease agreement. He said he submitted all requested documents, only to be informed weeks later that the state government had resolved to recover the property to build a “five-star hotel.”
Multiple written requests for an audience with Governor Alex Otti were allegedly ignored.
He noted that the Development Lease Agreement provided two major safeguards:
- A refund of his total investment, based on an independent valuation, should the government seek early termination.
- A 40% equity position for his company after the 25-year lease expires.
Ukanwoko said the government engaged a valuer, after which he was offered ₦150 million, a figure he described as “ridiculous.” He hired another firm, Jide Taiwo & Co, which valued the fixed assets at ₦708 million (forced-sale value). Following this, the state reportedly increased its offer to ₦450 million, which he rejected pending clarification on his equity stake.
He also requested confidentiality for safety reasons, a six-month transition period to relocate to a new facility, and permission to complete his December bookings, including events paid for months earlier. The governor’s response never came, he said.
According to him, negotiations remained cordial until Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, hosted President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Partners programme at the hotel. He said relatives serving in Otti’s administration called him that night, asking why he allowed the venue to be used for an event allegedly linked to the governor’s “No. 1 political enemy.”
Ukanwoko noted that Rt. Hon. Kalu paid ₦500,000 for the booking, and reminded them that even during Governor Otti’s years in opposition, he held political events at the same hotel without interference.
Shortly after, the Commissioner for Information issued a statement describing Abia Hotels as a “moribund, dilapidated and derelict project,” a claim the company swiftly refuted.
At a subsequent meeting, Ukanwoko’s lawyer found several media crews present, reportedly for a staged “handover and payment” event. The lawyer rejected the approach, calling it outside his client’s instructions. Government officials later apologised, he said, and persuaded him to apply for the ₦450 million payment—though he refused to sign any agreement.
Days later, he received calls instructing him to open an account with Signature Bank, Umuahia, where the governor had allegedly approved the ₦450 million. Ukanwoko insisted the transaction required a refund in accordance with the lease, not “compensation,” and that the amount was insufficient.
To his surprise, he said, the government deposited the money into his account without his consent or signature.
He was then issued a 48-hour ultimatum to vacate the property. Ukanwoko approached the court, and the matter is set for hearing on Tuesday, December 2, 2025.
Despite being served court papers, UCDA officials and state vigilante operatives reportedly sealed the hotel last week, ejecting guests—including a bride planning her wedding—and barring staff from entering. He alleged that numerous valuable items have since been lost.
On Friday, the governor’s Security Adviser, McDonald Uba, reportedly informed his security team that the hotel would be demolished with all movable assets inside. By Saturday morning, demolition began. Witnesses said a man was removing air conditioners, claiming the governor had paid him for them—an action Ukanwoko termed “unheard of in any valuation process worldwide.”
Calling from abroad after a major surgery, Ukanwoko made a distress appeal to “good-spirited Nigerians,” insisting his only offence was allowing the Deputy Speaker to use the facility for a lawful event.
The demolition has triggered widespread outrage across Abia State and beyond, with critics describing it as a brazen abuse of power, a strike against political pluralism, and a dangerous precedent for investors and property rights under the Otti administration.
