ABUJA — Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has praised President Bola Tinubu for what he described as a fair and equitable distribution of infrastructure projects across the country, particularly in the South East. He urged the Igbo people to back the President’s re-election bid in 2027, stating that the idea of a South East presidency was not realistic in the next election cycle.
Umahi made these remarks in response to a viral social media post questioning the absence of South East states in the federal government’s infrastructure map. The post, titled “The Politics of Asphalt: Why is the South East missing from the map?”, was shared by one Mr. Linus Anagboso.
In a statement personally signed by Umahi, the former Ebonyi governor accused critics of intentionally misleading the public and downplaying Tinubu’s efforts in the region. He noted that the President’s approach to infrastructure cuts across all six geo-political zones without bias.
According to Umahi, the South East is well represented in Tinubu’s legacy road projects. He cited the Cross River-Ebonyi-Benue-Kogi-Nasarawa-Abuja corridor, which covers a total of 465km—with 231.64km running through the South East—as proof of the President’s commitment. The project is valued at N445.8 billion, with N108 billion already disbursed.
He further highlighted other major ongoing works in the region, including the 2nd Niger Bridge access roads in Delta and Anambra states, valued at N146 billion and N176 billion respectively; the Enugu-Onitsha road funded through MTN tax credit and other federal allocations; the Enugu-Port Harcourt road reconstruction in four sections; the Enugu-Abakaliki road; the Afikpo-Abia-Imo road; the Onitsha-Owerri-Aba road; and the Aba-Ikot Ekpene and Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene roads.
Umahi urged South Easterners to set aside regional sentiment, stating that supporting Tinubu to complete an eight-year term would strengthen national unity and increase the region’s chances for future leadership. He said the politics of “hate, misinformation, and sentiments” should be abandoned if the South East ever hopes to produce a president.
However, his comments drew sharp criticism from elder statesman and former Minister of Education and Health, Professor Ihechukwu Madubuike, who said Umahi lacked the authority to speak on behalf of Ndigbo.
Madubuike stated that the aspiration for an Igbo presidency was not dependent on political parties, but a matter of equity and justice. He said Umahi was speaking for himself and his party, not the South East as a whole, and insisted that the push for a president of Igbo extraction remains strong and widely supported across Nigeria.
