Umahi challenges Obi to present South-East scorecard before 2027

By Onu Okorie

Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has challenged the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, to present his record of achievements in the South-East before asking the people of the region to support his presidential ambition in 2027.
Umahi made the challenge in Abuja while addressing members of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), civil society organisations and Senior Special Assistants to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on community engagement during a presentation on ongoing Federal Government road projects across the country.
The minister said political leaders seeking the presidency should be subjected to scrutiny based on their records and the tangible benefits they had delivered to Nigerians, particularly in their home regions.
He urged the people of the South-East to critically assess competing political records, arguing that the region should openly evaluate the infrastructure and other interventions being undertaken by the Tinubu administration.
“Let the people come and say, this is what we have done for the people of South-East. We want to be president; let us know what we have done for the people of South-East,” Umahi said.
He maintained that the Federal Government’s ongoing road and bridge projects represented a major intervention in the South-East, citing major highways, bridges and rehabilitation projects as evidence.
Umahi also called on South-East leaders to be “bold and vocal” in explaining the benefits of the Tinubu administration to the region.
According to him, supporting President Tinubu should not expose anyone to abuse, stressing that Nigerians were constitutionally entitled to support candidates of their choice.
“It is the right of every Igbo man to support President Tinubu and his people. You should not insult him for such decisions,” he said.
The minister further argued that the South-East could not produce a president through its votes alone, urging the region to adopt a broader political strategy ahead of the 2027 election.
He said the region should consider infrastructure delivery, political inclusion and other Federal Government interventions in determining its political choices.
Umahi, who has previously advocated support for Tinubu in the South-East, said he was prepared to defend his own record and that of the administration, particularly on infrastructure.
“Ask me what I have done for the South-East; I will tell you what President Tinubu has done for the people of South-East,” he said.
He also declared that, in his assessment, Obi would not win the 2027 presidential election, while challenging him to subject his record to public debate.
Umahi said Nigerians should be able to place the records of political leaders side by side and scrutinise their achievements before making electoral decisions.
Infrastructure takes centre stage
The minister said infrastructure remained critical to economic development because efficient roads facilitate the movement of people, agricultural produce and commercial goods.
He acknowledged concerns over challenges associated with some ongoing projects but said the Federal Government was progressively addressing funding and construction difficulties.
He also questioned the recurring debate over savings from the removal of the fuel subsidy, asking rhetorically: “Which savings?”
Umahi explained that the administration inherited a large portfolio of ongoing projects and had been working to address funding constraints and completion challenges.
The Federal Ministry of Works has described the administration’s major legacy road projects as a network designed to connect Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones and improve economic opportunities.
Among the projects cited at the engagement were the Second Niger Bridge and its connecting roads, rehabilitation of the First Niger Bridge, the Enugu-Port Harcourt corridor and other strategic highways in the South-East.
The South-East representative of the presidential community-engagement team said improved connectivity was already affecting economic activity and property values in communities along major road corridors.
According to the representative, communities that were previously difficult to access were increasingly benefiting from improved transportation links.
Students commend Tinubu, Umahi
The engagement also featured reports from Senior Special Assistants to the President on Community Engagement across the six geopolitical zones.
The reports highlighted the impact of Federal Government road projects on transportation, agriculture, commerce and access to communities.
NANS representatives who participated in project inspections also commended Tinubu and Umahi over projects they said they witnessed during their tours.
One of the student representatives described the projects as evidence of visible government intervention in road infrastructure and said students constituted a significant voting population.
“We have seen the good work of President Tinubu. He has done well. We have seen your work. You have done well,” the representative told Umahi.
A North-West representative similarly commended the Federal Government’s investments in transportation infrastructure and urged the minister to sustain the pace of execution.
Presidency targets grassroots engagement
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement in the North-East, Abdulhamid Yahaya, also made a political intervention at the event, calling on former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to withdraw from the 2027 presidential contest.
Yahaya claimed that the North-East would not support the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential campaign and said more than six million votes from the region would instead be mobilised for Tinubu.
The claims formed part of broader political exchanges at the event, which otherwise focused heavily on infrastructure delivery and community engagement.
In the North-Central, Senior Special Assistant on Community Engagement Abiodun Essiet highlighted the wider economic effects of improved road connectivity.
She said better roads were opening access to markets and reducing transportation difficulties for communities, particularly farmers seeking to move agricultural produce to consumers.
Essiet also pointed to increased commercial activity and rising property values along some major road corridors, saying improved accessibility was contributing to development around the projects.
Umahi opens projects to public scrutiny
Umahi said the Ministry of Works was willing to accommodate civil society organisations and other stakeholders interested in inspecting Federal Government projects.
He said the ministry had hosted political and oversight groups and had engaged institutions including the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as part of efforts to promote accountability.
“We are accountable and it is very important,” the minister said.
He urged Nigerians to assess government performance based on what was happening on the ground rather than relying exclusively on political arguments.
Umahi also called on political leaders to engage directly with their communities and explain the benefits of government programmes, stressing that citizens should have access to competing records before making political decisions.
The engagement ended with calls for greater public scrutiny of Federal Government projects and sustained interaction among ministries, students, civil society organisations and communities.