Minister of Works and former Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi, has called on South-East leaders and voters to persuade Labour Party figure Peter Obi to shelve any presidential ambition, insisting the region should instead consolidate support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of 2027.
Umahi made the remarks over the weekend while inspecting ongoing reconstruction works along the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway, saying the current administration has addressed long-standing complaints of marginalisation in the South-East.
According to the minister, the scale of federal presence and infrastructure investment in the zone under Tinubu marks an unprecedented shift that should be met with political reciprocity.
“All the marginalisation we complained about has been addressed. Unless we are not being truthful to ourselves, there is no more marginalisation in the South-East,” he said.
Umahi described the appointment of a South-Easterner as Minister of Works as a significant signal of inclusion, noting that the region had never previously held the portfolio.
He pointed to multiple ongoing federal road projects linking Port Harcourt to Enugu and beyond, saying the level of investment now runs into trillions of naira and surpasses what the region experienced in past administrations.
“Never in Nigeria’s history have we benefited as much,” he said. “Today, we can boast of numerous ongoing projects just like other regions.”
The minister also cited key federal appointments, including security leadership roles, as evidence of what he called the President’s goodwill toward the South-East.
Framing the moment as strategic rather than sentimental, Umahi urged political actors in the region to rally behind Tinubu’s re-election rather than pursue what he described as premature presidential aspirations.
“We should not be guided by sentiments or non-strategic moves. We should tell our brother that it is not yet our turn,” he added.
The comments are likely to stir fresh debate over zoning, regional political calculations, and the South-East’s role in the evolving permutations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
