Nigeria Minister of Works, David Umahi, has urged the Southeast to be strategic in their political affiliation as the 2027 general elections draw closer.
The former Ebonyi governor appealed to the people of the Southeast to embrace what he described as strategic politics, saying the region alone could not determine Nigeria’s presidency.
“Our brother, Peter Obi, is contesting to become President of Nigeria, not President of the Southeast. The voice of the Southeast alone cannot produce a President. We have to be strategic.
“If people insult me because of my support for President Tinubu, I don’t have a problem with that. But we must recognise that this President has done what no other President has done for the Southeast in terms of infrastructure,” he said.
He warned that opposing the President could jeopardise the gains already being recorded in the region, insisting that no previous administration had invested in the Southeast the way the Tinubu administration is doing.
Umahi spoke on Friday while inspecting the Ebonyi section of the Cross River–Abuja Super Highway, one of the Federal Government’s legacy road projects.
He asked the Southeast to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, saying the region is enjoying unprecedented federal infrastructure projects under the current administration.
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“What I’m doing is to beg, appeal and educate Nigerians on what the President is doing. Nigerians should know that the President means well for this country. Everything cannot be corrected in three years because the problems accumulated over decades, but he is making very serious efforts,” Umahi said.
He appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the administration, arguing that the impact of ongoing investments in infrastructure would become more evident with time.
Defending the Federal Government’s borrowing policy, Umahi said the loans were being invested in capital projects rather than recurrent expenditure.
“The President is not borrowing to buy vehicles or to pay salaries. He is borrowing for infrastructure. Every nation borrows to develop infrastructure, and these projects will benefit generations yet unborn,” he said.
The minister said President Tinubu’s infrastructure agenda was creating jobs, stimulating businesses and addressing the economic challenges facing the country.
According to him, thousands of Nigerians have secured employment through ongoing road projects, while suppliers of construction materials, food vendors, transporters and cement manufacturers are benefiting from increased economic activities.
