Minister of Works, David Umahi, has urged voters in the South-East to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in the 2027 presidential election.
Umahi argued that votes from the South-East alone would not be sufficient to make Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), president of Nigeria.
The minister made the remarks while speaking with journalists in Okigwe, Imo State, after inspecting the 65-kilometre Afikpo-Uturu-Okigwe federal road project being executed under the Federal Government’s tax-credit scheme.
According to Umahi, the South-East should adopt what he described as a strategic approach to the 2027 election rather than relying solely on regional sentiment.
He urged residents of the region to support Tinubu, arguing that the administration had undertaken major infrastructure projects across the South-East.
Umahi said the region should appreciate the Federal Government’s investment through its votes.
He also argued that the presidency is a national contest requiring support from multiple regions and that South-East votes alone cannot determine the winner.
The minister’s position adds to the growing political debate in the South-East over whether the region should support Obi, who is from Anambra State, or back Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The 2027 presidential election is already generating intense political mobilisation across Nigeria, with parties and political figures positioning themselves ahead of the contest.