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Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has declared that Peter Obi does not pose a threat to President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Umahi made the statement during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, arguing that Obi is not the only presidential aspirant from the South-East.
“By the way, it is not only Peter Obi that is from the South-East that is contesting. We have about three or four other presidential candidates who are contesting,” Umahi said.
“We have the Labour Party and I think there are other two, even a woman is involved. So, Peter Obi is not a threat as far as I am concerned,” he added.
The former Ebonyi State governor, however, said his assessment should not be interpreted as an attempt to underestimate Obi, adding that the APC’s record under Tinubu could attract voters in the South-East.
Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Labour Party, won all five states in the South-East during that election.
Umahi expressed confidence that Tinubu could win all the states in the region in 2027, attributing the APC’s poor performance there in 2023 to what he described as the previous administration’s marginalisation of the South-East.
“I will not blame the South-East in the last election because, virtually, we were not fairly treated by the past administration,” he said.
“Service chiefs, we got none; major ministerial portfolios, we got none. And so, the marginalisation continued, and they even increased at that point. And so you will not totally blame them for that,” Umahi added.
According to him, the situation has changed under Tinubu, with the South-East receiving what he described as stronger representation in the Federal Government.
“But now, the story is totally different. I’m the Minister of Works; we have never had a Minister of Works before. We have a Minister of Foreign Affairs; we have a Minister of Science and Industry,” Umahi said.
“We are very happy with the appointments we’ve got. They’re very happy. Now, we have done quite a lot,” he added.
Umahi’s comments come as political parties and presidential contenders intensify mobilisation and preparations for the 2027 general election, with the South-East expected to remain a major focus of competing political interests.
