ABAKALIKI — Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, has publicly dismissed former presidential candidate Peter Obi’s political standing in the South-East, declaring himself the “lion of the South-East” and calling on the region to align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on Sunday at the Ecumenical Centre in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, during an All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign council town hall meeting, Umahi delivered a sharp critique of Obi—the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC)—and rejected his proposal to serve only a single four-year term if elected president.
”Who is Peter Obi better than? Who is he better than? Is he better than Sam Egwu? Is he better than Elias Mbam? Is he better than the lion of the South-East, myself? Is he better than Anyim Pius?” Umahi asked, challenging Obi’s standing while criticizing opposition supporters for branding non-Obi loyalists as “saboteurs.”
Addressing traditional leaders, political stakeholders, and representatives of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Umahi argued that a four-year tenure is unrealistic and disadvantageous for the Igbo nation after decades of seeking the presidency.
”There is no way an Igbo man, after staying for 60 years, will want to be president for four years. There is nobody that can accept that. The North has not accepted to be president for four years,” Umahi said.
The Minister urged the people of the South-East to reject sentiment and social media rhetoric in favour of political pragmatism. He cited federal appointments—including the Chief of Air Staff and key ministerial portfolios—alongside ongoing road infrastructure projects, as proof that the region has been fully integrated into President Tinubu’s administration.
Calling on religious and traditional leaders to abandon neutrality and support Tinubu’s second-term bid, Umahi pledged to mobilize 1.3 million of Ebonyi State’s 1.8 million registered voters for the ruling party in 2027 to position the region strategically for future power rotation.
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