Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, has said he will continue to urge people of the South-East not to vote for Peter Obi in the 2027 presidential election, insisting that the region should support President Bola Tinubu.
Umahi made the declaration on Tuesday in Abuja while responding to presentations by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) who had embarked on inspection tours of federal infrastructure projects in North West region.
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Umahi called on Igbo leaders to educate their people on what he described as the benefits of supporting the Tinubu administration.
“I will continue to tell Igbos not to vote for Peter Obi, but to vote for President Bola Tinubu. That it is a right decision to make,” Umahi said.
The Minister said it was the right of every Igbo person to support Tinubu and urged those holding such a position not to be insulted or attacked for their political choice.
Umahi argued that the South-East should assess what it had gained from successive administrations and compare the records of those seeking political support.
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“Let people come and say, this is what we have done for the people of South-East. Let us put this side by side. We want to be President. Let us know what we have done for the people of South-East,” he said.
He also challenged political actors to engage in debates over their records in public office, saying Nigerians should be able to assess what each political leader had accomplished.
Umahi, a former governor of Ebonyi State, said Tinubu had made what he described as significant progress in addressing issues affecting the South-East, particularly in infrastructure and appointments.
He cited ongoing federal infrastructure projects as part of the reasons he believes the region should support the President.
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The Minister further urged Igbo leaders to “educate our people” on the administration’s projects and the benefits they believe the region has derived from them.
Spark News reports that Works Minister’s comments come amid intensifying political activity ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with Tinubu and Obi expected to compete for support across the South-East. Recent reports have also documented Umahi’s repeated calls for the region to support Tinubu.