Nigeria's Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has stated that Peter Obi, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, does not pose a threat to President Bola Tinubu or the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Umahi made this statement during an interview on Channels Television's Sunday Politics. He described Obi as his brother and friend.
Umahi argued that Obi is not the only presidential contender from the South-East and that several other candidates from the region are also seeking the presidency. He said his position on integrating the South-East into the political mainstream of Nigeria had remained unchanged since his time as governor of Ebonyi State.
The minister referred to the 2019 presidential election, saying that while he supported Atiku Abubakar in Ebonyi State, he publicly encouraged people in the South-East to give former President Muhammadu Buhari a portion of their votes. Umahi's position was based on the need for a broad-minded approach to national politics rather than restricting political choices to candidates from a particular region.
Umahi's comments come as political parties and presidential contenders intensify preparations for the 2027 election, with the South-East emerging as an important area of political competition. Obi secured all five South-East states in the 2023 presidential election while contesting under the Labour Party. However, Umahi said the political circumstances in the region had changed since the 2023 election.
According to Umahi, the Tinubu administration had provided greater representation for the South-East in the Federal Government. He pointed to his own appointment as Minister of Works, as well as the presence of other South-East politicians in senior federal positions, as evidence of what he described as a change in the region's political circumstances under Tinubu.
The minister attributed the APC's poor showing in the South-East during the 2023 presidential election partly to what he described as the marginalisation of the region under the previous administration. Umahi urged presidential contenders to focus on their records in public office rather than relying solely on political rhetoric.
The minister's assessment is significant because the South-East remains a politically important region ahead of 2027. Umahi's dismissal of Obi as a threat represents his own assessment of the emerging contest. His position is that the APC does not regard Obi as a significant threat, while his description of Obi as a brother and friend highlights the personal relationship he says exists alongside their differing political positions.
Key points
- The South-East region is expected to remain an important focus for competing political parties ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
- Umahi attributed the APC's poor showing in the South-East during the 2023 presidential election to the marginalisation of the region under the previous administration.
- Umahi urged presidential contenders to focus on their records in public office rather than relying solely on political rhetoric.
