Umahi dismisses Abaribe’s claim, says South East will support Tinubu in 2027

The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi on Wednesday dismissed the remarks made by the Senator representing Abia South Senatorial District, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe that President Bola Tinubu will lose in the 2027 presidential election.

Engr. Umahi who dismissed Senator Abaribe’s claims as figment of his imagination, while addressing newsmen during a press conference  in Abuja, said Nigerians, including the South East will vote massively for President Bola Tinubu, because he has recorded tremendous achievements across the country.

Recall Senator Abaribe, criticized the administrative style of President Tinubu while speaking on Monday on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, noting that politicians and supporters of the President cannot openly declare their support for the President in their hometowns and communities because of fear of backlash.

He said, “public anger over hardship, economic challenges and insecurity under President Tinubu’s administration has made it difficult for his supporters to openly identify with him in their villages.

“I come from Aba in Abia State, and I was discussing this particular thing that oh, APC has this government, and people were a little worried,” Abaribe said.

Umahi, in a swift reaction, resolutely rose in defence of President Tinubu’s record of performance, especially in the South East geo-political zone.

According to him, contrary to what some opposition politicians from the zone would want Nigerians to believe, the South East, which suffered neglect from past administrations, now heaves a sigh of relief under President Tinubu.

The minister also dismissed claims by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who represents Abia South in the National Assembly, that the South East has no reason to support Tinubu come 2027.

Umahi described the Senator’s remarks as a personal attack on his integrity and the reality on ground.

He said, “I am not speaking as a politician, I am speaking as a Minister who is directly involved in implementation and who knows what is happening on ground.

“If we did not have the audacity and courage to bring this moment to the sub nationals, Governor Otti would not be doing what he is doing.”

Umahi argued that the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, who is an opposition party governor, acknowledged the enabling environment provided by the Federal government to assist him perform.

Umahi listed some ongoing road projects in the zone, adding, “All of the South East governments are supporting the president, because the president has provided inclusive governance in the country.”

He mentioned the appointment of a South Easterner as Chief of Naval Staff and the establishment of an army depot in Abia State by the Tinubu administration as evidence of inclusiveness.

Umahi urged South East citizens to reject narratives of exclusion and embrace national unity, adding, “This country belongs to all of us. No one is a stranger. We all have equal right

He also defended the administration’s economic reforms, citing improvements in currency stability, inflation moderation and enhanced security operations.

Umahi reminded Senator Abaribe that it was under President Tinubu that the Enyimba City power plant, became functional.

“All the bottlenecks were set aside. And let me also correct him, because he said that they asked me about the procurement of the Lagos-Calabar-Coastal Highway.

“In the first instance, he’s a lawmaker, and he has been in the Senate for a very long time. I don’t want to ask what and what he has achieved for his people, because I’m not part of his people,

“But if we put together of what he has achieved, and he’s questioning me, then I have to question what he has achieved”, the Minister said.

He added that Abaribe’s comments about the procurement process of the Lagos-Calabar-Coastal Highway was a direct attack on “my personality and integrity.”

“And I think that after correcting him, that he has to withdraw the statement. Because if he doesn’t, I will say more, so that we put our achievements side by side and then the people of our region will judge”, he added.

Umahi also announced the Presidential Infrastructure and Engineering Leadership Programme, aimed at training young civil engineers, artisans, among others from January 2026.