The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has said the South-East will eventually produce Nigeria’s President, but maintained that he does not believe the time has come for an Igbo presidency.
Umahi made the remarks on Thursday in Benin City, Edo State, during the “Operation Rescue Benin-Asaba Road” programme.
The minister also rejected comparisons between him and former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate, Peter Obi, saying such assessments should take into account their backgrounds, intellectual abilities and records of service.
Reacting to comments suggesting that Obi was not his equal, Umahi said he took time to consider the basis of the comparison.
He said, “And when that guy says that Peter Obi is not my match, it took me ten minutes to think about it; is it in my larger family background that his is better than my own? Is it in intellectual capacity? Is it in what we have done for the people of South-East? Is it what we did when we were governors?”
Umahi also defended his support for President Bola Tinubu, saying members of the administration would respond whenever the President’s performance was questioned.
He said, “If you are challenging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the President is working and is using us to work and you expect us to keep quiet, we are not keeping quiet.”
Commenting on criticism directed at Obi, the minister described the former Anambra governor as “a lucky person,” while insisting that Nigerians should verify claims about his record.
He said, “I don’t think any reasonable person will insult Peter Obi, but I want to say that Peter Obi is a lucky person because when you tell people to go and verify and they verify and there is nothing they see. Some people are still talking and talking.”
On the 2027 presidential race, Umahi dismissed claims that the Igbo would never occupy the presidency, saying the South-East would eventually produce the nation’s leader.
However, he said the presidency currently belonged to Tinubu.
He said, “What we are saying is that it is not the turn of Igbos yet. I heard today one charlatan saying, ‘Oh no, the Igbos can never be President.’ That can will not be alive when the Igbos become President because we will one day become President, but it is not yet our turn; it is the turn of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Meanwhile, Umahi announced plans by the Federal Government to redesign the 136-kilometre Benin-Asaba dual carriageway using reinforced concrete pavement.
He said the decision followed the failure of three proposals previously presented to the road concessionaire regarding the continuation of the agreement.
According to him, the Federal Government had commenced temporary rehabilitation of the highway while working towards a permanent solution.
The minister clarified that the emergency repairs were not awarded to Hitech or any other contractor.
He explained that the Ministry of Works had instead hired equipment belonging to contractors operating along the road corridor, including Hitech, CECC and CBC, for the temporary intervention.
Umahi said additional equipment was still being sourced, adding that the emergency rehabilitation was expected to take about four weeks.
