Minister of Works David Umahi has asserted that Peter Obi is not the finest presidential candidate from the South East, maintaining that the region possesses other capable politicians who could lead Nigeria.
Umahi made the statement during an interview on ARISE News on Friday while defending South East political figures who support President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election.
The former Ebonyi State governor criticized Obi for allegedly failing to consult local stakeholders and political leaders before launching his 2023 presidential campaign.
Umahi said, “Peter Obi is not the best of our finest in South East. He’s not the best, he can never be the best.”
He maintained that any aspirant seeking to contest for the presidency on behalf of the South East must first engage and consult governors and other key local political leaders.
“You cannot play politics in South East without consulting people like us,” he said.
Umahi emphasized that an aspirant cannot pursue a regional presidential ambition in isolation, adding that he would have consulted key political leaders had he entered the presidential race.
The minister also rejected the premise that Anambra State should automatically claim the presidency if the South East receives the opportunity to produce Nigeria’s next president.
Pointing out that Nigeria’s first president, Nnamdi Azikiwe, hailed from present-day Anambra State, Umahi argued that all other states in the region deserve an equal opportunity.
He specifically identified Ebonyi, Enugu, Abia, and Imo as states that must feature in any future deliberations regarding a South East presidential candidate.
Vote Tinubu or lose Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway
Umahi also stated that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway may not be completed if President Bola Tinubu fails to secure a second term in the 2027 election.
Umahi claimed that only President Tinubu’s reelection can guarantee the completion of the 700-kilometer coastal highway and other legacy road projects across the country, describing the infrastructure project as a personal initiative of Tinubu that requires policy continuity.
Additionally, the former Ebonyi State governor dismissed rumors that the coastal highway project had replaced the East-West Road.
Read Also: Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Renamed After Tinubu
Backstory…
On July 31, 2026, Umahi told Obi that the South-East’s support alone could not make him president, stressing the need to build political alliances across other regions.
He also urged political leaders in the South-East to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, citing federal infrastructure projects in the region as evidence of the administration’s commitment to its development.
Read Also: Resist Peter Obi and NDC, A vote for Obi will kill APGA – Anambra Govt
