Minister of Works Dave Umahi has said Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), does not pose a threat to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu or the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Umahi made the statement during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where he also described Obi as his brother and friend.
“Peter Obi is not a threat as far as I am concerned,” Umahi said, while arguing that several other presidential candidates from the South-East would also be contesting the election.
Umahi points to South-East politics
The minister, a former governor of Ebonyi State, said he was not underestimating Obi but expressed confidence that the APC could make significant gains in the South-East in 2027.
Obi won all five South-East states — Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo — in the 2023 presidential election while running on the Labour Party platform.
Umahi attributed the APC’s poor performance in the region in 2023 partly to what he described as political marginalisation under the previous administration.
He argued that the Tinubu administration had changed that situation through appointments and infrastructure-related initiatives involving the region.
Umahi predicts APC gains
Umahi said he believed Tinubu could win all five South-East states in 2027, pointing to what he described as increased representation of the region in the Federal Government.
His assessment is a political prediction and does not establish the eventual electoral outcome.
With the 2027 election approaching, the South-East is expected to remain a major focus of competing presidential campaigns, particularly given Obi’s strong performance across the region in 2023.
The eventual outcome will depend on voter preferences, candidate mobilisation, party structures and the broader national political environment.