Wait until 2031 to become President, Umahi told Southeast

Minister of Public Works, David Umahi, has urged the South East region to be patient in their bid for Nigeria’s presidency, stating that it is not yet time to produce a leader of the country.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Sunday, Umahi stressed the importance of justice and political continuity, and stressed that President Bola Tinubu must be allowed to complete his eight-year constitutionally-backed term before talks on rezoning the Southeast region.

“No, this is not our time; this is not the time of the South East. We, 17 governors of the Southern region, went to Asaba before 2023, and we said, listen, it doesn’t matter the political party, but the next president must come from the South,” recalled Umahi.

“We’ve all tried, but the crown goes to President Bola Tinubu. He’s from the South, so it’s wrong for the Southeast to come and say, Oh, it’s their turn,” he said.

The Minister continued, “No, he (Tinubu) has to finish those eight years. The eight years he took were for all of us, both South and North. So he has to finish them, and when he finishes in 2031, the Southeast can now compete, in the sense that they have never tasted that position before.”

Umahi added that after Tinubu’s tenure, the South East and North East regions will legitimately compete for the presidency.

“The North Eastern countries can also compete in the sense that they have never been in this position before. I firmly believe that when equality and fairness are achieved, equality and rotation will be something to be happy about,” he said.

“So for me, this is not the time (for the Southeast). And when the time comes, we have sons and daughters who are very qualified (to run for president),” Umahi added.

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While admitting that the Southeast had faced political marginalization in the past, Umahi said the situation had improved significantly under the current government.

“But right now President Bola Tinubu doesn’t want to know where you come from. He treats everyone very well,” he said.

The minister also defended the distribution of appointments under Tinubu, saying that the Ministry of Public Works, which he heads, is of immense national importance.

“Southeast may say there are not many appointments, but the position of Minister of Public Works is equivalent to five class A ministers. The question is, there are times when we (Southeast) make various appointments. Does that mean infrastructure development? The answer is no,” he said.

Umahi cited several major infrastructure projects currently underway in the region as evidence of Tinubu’s commitment to inclusive development.

“If there were only one or two or three or four or five that we have now, and we are doing over N350 billion projects from Enugu to Onitsha by this president – ​​MTN, N202 billion; and then CBC, N150 billion,” he said.

He continued, “If we spend N174 billion to create a second access point in Anambra State, which is about 35 kilometers, and we spend money to connect the South East region… Yesterday, I saw on social media that the road in Onitsha and Owerri was cut in half. We have sent people there who are mobilizing to do the work; the president has awarded the project.”

Umahi listed additional projects, including the Port Harcourt–Aba (86km), Aba–Umuahia (56km by two), Umuahia–Lokpanta (6km), and Lokpanta–Enugu (61km by two) roads, worth more than N100 billion.

He also mentioned the dualization of Enugu to Abakaliki (N183 billion) and the Trans-Saharan Road from Ebonyi to Benue border (N456 billion) as part of the president’s commitment to the region.

“The President did this from Afigbo to Uturu and down to Okigwe, cutting through Ebonyi-Abia and Imo the sum of N193 billion through the Dangote tax credit,” he said.

“If he is the one who connects our bridge between Cross River and Ebonyi on the Afikpo axis, if he is the one who connects our bridge between Cross River and the Ebonyi-Aduferegbe axis – is it the Abakpa flyover that the president is working on? Is it the flyover to Obinago? Is it the two bridges in Enugu that collapsed during the 2023 floods, and that the president is doing?” Umahi asked.

The minister expressed his thanks for the ongoing developments, saying, “So, we have no reason not to thank the president. I don’t know what else, and of course, we also have the Chief of Naval Staff.”

He warned that while the Southeast remained capable of leading, its people must be attuned to Nigeria’s current political realities.

“Yes, acknowledge the past, but let’s also emphasize the reality of what is happening now,” he suggested.

Umahi concluded by praising Tinubu’s inclusive leadership and the progress recorded so far.

“We should applaud President Bola Tinubu. And in essence, my appointment as Minister of Public Works is one appointment too many. Because, this is not just an appointment, but has been used for the whole country,” he said.