The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has stated that the South-East geopolitical zone, home predominantly to the Igbo people, will produce Nigeria’s president someday, but it will not happen in the 2027 elections. He made this clear in a statement responding to an online report titled, “The Politics of Asphalt: Why is the South East Missing from the Map?”
Umahi described the report as misleading and inaccurate, aimed at portraying the administration of President Bola Tinubu as sidelining the South-East in terms of infrastructure development. He emphasized that the Tinubu government has been fair in allocating infrastructure projects across all regions, including the South-East.
Umahi said he instructed all regional directors of the Ministry of Works to return to sites nationwide to compile lists of inherited ongoing and new projects to showcase the extensive infrastructure efforts of the Tinubu administration, regardless of who voted for the president.
He appealed to the people of the South-East to support President Tinubu’s re-election bid, arguing that strong backing from the region will cement the relationship necessary for the South-East to produce a president in the future. He warned against falling for "darkening counsel" or misinformation that falsely assures an Igbo presidency in 2027.
The minister highlighted the fair distribution of infrastructure as a unifying and hopeful force for Nigerians and called on the South-East to avoid politics of hate, misinformation, and sentiments. He praised the region’s governors for their support and ongoing development efforts and urged the people to support both them and President Tinubu for second terms in office.
In summary, Umahi insists that while the Igbo will eventually ascend to the presidency, the 2027 election is not the time, and the best path forward is solidarity with the current administration to ensure future progress and political gains.
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