Minister of Works, David Umahi, has urged Nigerians, especially those from the Southeast, to support President Bola Tinubu for a second term, saying 2027 is not the region’s turn to produce the president.
Speaking in Abuja during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Umahi said the Southeast must show patience and support continuity for fairness and stability.
“No, it is not our time yet. Before 2023, the 17 Southern governors agreed in Asaba that power should shift to the South.
“We all tried, but the crown came upon President Tinubu. He must complete his eight years, which belong to both the South and the North. After 2031, the Southeast can contest, having never produced the president,” Umahi said.
He dismissed renewed claims of marginalisation against the Tinubu administration as political, insisting that the region had been treated fairly in infrastructure and key appointments.
“President Tinubu does not want to know where you come from; he is treating everybody well. The Ministry of Works alone is handling projects worth over N350 billion across the Southeast, including the Enugu–Onitsha, Port Harcourt–Aba, and Aba–Umuahia roads,” he said.
Umahi listed several other projects under execution, noting that the President was also prioritising major works in the North. “When the Budget Office reviewed national infrastructure, the Northwest had three to four times more projects than the Southeast and Northeast,” he added.
He maintained that current realities prove the marginalisation narrative outdated.
“The Southeast has passed that stage. If we didn’t get all the appointments, we are getting the infrastructure, and that is what matters,” he said.
