David Umahi, Nigeria's Works Minister, is pushing the South-East to back President Tinubu come 2027. He warned that failing to do so risks halting major federal infrastructure developments in the region.
Umahi made the appeal during a Wednesday inspection of federal road and bridge projects in Ebonyi State. He called the current slate of projects unmatched in South-East history.
Among the inspected sites was the Calabar–Ebonyi–Benue–Nasarawa–Abuja Superhighway. According to the minister, this represents a legacy project for the administration.
Section one stretches roughly 123 kilometres from Ndibe Beach to the Ebonyi–Benue boundary. It features reinforced concrete pavement and solar-powered streetlights at an estimated N454 billion cost.
Half the funding has already been released by the Federal Government. Additional approvals are being processed for dualising key sections, Umahi explained.
Section two covers about 178 kilometres across Benue, Kogi, and Nasarawa states to Oweto Bridge. Its contract value stands at N685 billion.
Contractors face funding difficulties, though the minister insisted commitment remains strong. "The President has assured us that all contractors owed will be paid," he noted.
Umahi stressed that construction sites now exist in virtually every Nigerian state under this administration. Such infrastructure requires presidential-level intervention, he argued.
"Only President Bola Ahmed Tinubu can build these roads and bridges," the minister declared. Previous politicians merely used such projects as campaign rhetoric, he added.
He directly challenged Afikpo residents about their voting pattern. "Last time, Afikpo people did not vote for APC.
If they want this bridge completed, I will require 100 per cent of the votes," Umahi stated.
Communities benefitting from federal projects should reciprocate by supporting Tinubu, the minister insisted. Sentiment must not drive voting decisions, he warned.
Umahi highlighted his own appointment as proof of South-East inclusion. "Today no ministry is bigger than the Ministry of Works, and it is being headed by an Igbo man," he said.
Regional leaders once complained about marginalisation from power. That narrative has shifted under the current government, according to the minister.
"The President has integrated the South-East into the mainstream of Nigerian politics," Umahi argued. South-East voters would be foolish to abandon this progress, he suggested.
He urged regional political leaders to publicly champion the President's achievements. Citizens deserve accurate information about what this administration delivers, he maintained.
"I challenge all leaders supporting the President to speak out openly. Our people need to hear the truth about what this administration is doing in the South-East," he stated.
Substantial project portions should be completed before year's end, Umahi projected. Strategic planning matters more than sentiment in presidential elections, he concluded.
