The Minister of Works and former Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. David Umahi, has stirred fresh political debate after declaring that the 2027 presidential ambition of the South East is not realistic — urging Ndigbo to rally behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term instead.
Umahi made the statement in Abuja on Monday in response to a viral post by a social media user, Mr. Linus Anagboso (D-Big Pen), titled “The Politics of Asphalt: Why is the South East Missing from the Map?”
The Works Minister dismissed the claims as misleading, asserting that President Tinubu has shown “unwavering love and fairness” to the South East in terms of infrastructure development. He also stated that the President had ensured balanced project distribution across all six geo-political zones, adding that political mischief-makers are trying to twist facts for public sympathy.
“Politics is now in the air and the chosen path by some persons is to deceive unsuspecting members of the public… pretending not to see the selfless infrastructure development President Tinubu is doing all over the nation,” Umahi said in the statement he personally signed.
He emphasized that President Tinubu deserves overwhelming support from the South East in 2027 to “cement the relationship”, adding:
“Mr. President must have the votes of South East up to 90%. If we want to be president, we must avoid the politics of hate, misinformation and sentiments… One day, we will be number one, but not in 2027.”
According to Umahi, the South East is a major beneficiary of one of Tinubu’s four legacy infrastructure projects — the 465km Cross River-Ebonyi-Benue-Kogi-Nasarawa-Abuja corridor — with over 231km of the road passing through the region. He said N445.8 billion has already been awarded for the project, with N108 billion disbursed so far.
He also listed several key federal road projects underway in the region, including:
- 2nd Niger Bridge Access Roads (Delta and Anambra sides)
- Enugu-Onitsha Expressway (via MTN tax credit scheme)
- Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway
- Enugu-Abakaliki Road
- Afikpo-Abia-Imo Road
- Onitsha-Owerri-Aba Road
- Aba-Ikot Ekpene and Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Roads
Umahi accused critics of intentionally misrepresenting facts, particularly by renaming projects to stir discontent. He directed regional directors of the Ministry of Works to document all inherited and new projects across the country to provide transparency.
But Umahi’s comments have not gone unchallenged.
“Umahi Does Not Speak for Ndigbo” — Prof. Madubuike
Reacting strongly, elder statesman and two-time Minister, Professor Ihechukwu Madubuike, dismissed Umahi’s statement, insisting that the former governor lacks the authority to speak on behalf of Ndigbo.
“David Umahi is speaking for himself and his party. He has no mandate to speak for the Igbo nation,” Madubuike said.
He maintained that the demand for an Igbo presidency is not a partisan issue, but a moral imperative.
“The Igbo presidency project is beyond party propaganda. It is a matter of rights, of conscience, of justice — and it must happen,” he declared.
Madubuike described the call to abandon Igbo aspirations in 2027 as premature and unwise, stating that the dream of a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction is alive and gaining traction across ethnic lines.
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