Tinubu deserves re-election in 2027, southeast should wait their turn – Umahi

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has called on Nigerians particularly those from the Southeast region to rally behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in 2027, emphasizing that it is not yet 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 exercise patience and prioritize continuity in governance for the sake of fairness, stability, and national progress.

“No, it is not our time yet. Before 2023, the 17 Southern governors agreed in Asaba that power should shift to the South.

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“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He maintained that current realities prove the marginalisation narrative outdated.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.

(Nation)