Obi Can’t Win 2027 Polls – Umahi Declares, Gives Reason

Minister of Works David Umahi has dismissed Peter Obi’s chances of winning the 2027 presidential election.

According to the former Ebonyi State governor, stronger political engagement in the South-East could weaken Obi’s support in the region.

He spoke in Abuja on Tuesday while receiving a report from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) following its inspection of federal roads across the country.

Umahi urged political and community leaders in the South-East to communicate more directly with residents about what he described as the achievements of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

He argued that increased voter awareness would affect Obi’s electoral support.

“The more we educate our people, the less votes Peter Obi will get. Peter Obi cannot win in 2027. It is important for the leaders of the South-East to be bold, vocal and speak to our people, the Igbos, about what President Tinubu has done and is doing for the Igbos,” he said.

The minister also commended Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo for backing Tinubu and appealed to Nigerians to respect those who support the President.

“I support the Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, for his boldness in supporting the President. People should stop insulting supporters of the President; people should be allowed to support him,” Umahi said.

He further claimed that the Tinubu administration had done more for the South-East than previous federal governments in terms of appointments, political inclusion and infrastructure.

“No other President has done what President Tinubu has done for the South-East, whether by appointment, inclusion or projects,” he said.

Meanwhile, Soludo recently confirmed that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) was cooperating with the Tinubu-led Federal Government and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The governor said the arrangement was built around shared development priorities.

“So far, ours is a partnership that works, a partnership between APGA, the federal government, and the APC, it’s a partnership that works,” Soludo said.

POLITICS NIGERIA reports that APGA has also endorsed Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election and resolved not to present its own candidate. The party said the decision followed consultations with its National Executive Committee.

Soludo had earlier praised Tinubu after the President approved the design and procurement of two highway projects intended to improve connections between the South-East and other parts of the country.

Peter Obi; Bola Tinubu

The projects are the proposed dualisation of the 108-kilometre Otuocha–Anam–Abaji road between Anambra and Kogi states, and the 150-kilometre Oba–Nnewi–Uga–Ihube road linking Anambra and Imo while providing access towards the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway through Abia.

According to Soludo, he met Tinubu on July 1 to discuss infrastructure priorities, after which the Anambra State Government submitted project details on July 3. He later said Umahi informed him on July 15 that the President had approved both projects for design and procurement.

Reacting to the approval, Soludo said, “I can’t contain my joy and that of my people regarding the great news from DIKESIMBA Anambra; DIKESIMBA NDIGBO, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

He added, “Certainly, President Tinubu has a date with history, and even more so with the Southeast. He continues to demonstrate his avowed commitment to orchestrating the reconstruction of the Southeast, thereby finally healing the wounds of the Civil War.”

At the Abuja event, Umahi also addressed the financing of federal road projects. He said the government would fund 30 per cent of legacy projects, while loans would cover the remaining 70 per cent and be repaid through tolling.

“The Federal Government is providing 30 per cent of the funds and the remaining balance is from loans which will be payable by tolling,” he said.

The minister also complained about vandalism and dangerous driving on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. He alleged that some people were removing iron used for road demarcation and stealing manhole covers, while motorists were driving at excessive speeds.

“People cut the iron we used for demarcation, remove manhole covers and even overspeed. This is unacceptable,” Umahi said.

Earlier, NANS President Akinteye Babatunde Afeez submitted the students’ report on the North-West phase of the association’s nationwide road assessment.

Afeez said the inspection covered Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna and Sokoto states. The roads visited included the Kano-Maiduguri, Kano-Katsina, Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano, Mando-Birnin Gwari, Sokoto-Badagry and Illela-Dukamaje routes.

He said the roads serve more than 10 tertiary institutions and that the students were impressed by the scale, quality and pace of construction work.

NANS, however, recommended a pedestrian bridge at the Federal Co-operative College in Kaduna to protect students and other road users.

The post Obi Can’t Win 2027 Polls – Umahi Declares, Gives Reason appeared first on Politics Nigeria.