David Umahi, minister of works, says the south-east geopolitical zone will deliver 90 percent of its votes to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Umahi spoke on Saturday during an inspection tour of the Alaoji axis of the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway.
The minister said it is not yet the turn of the south-east to produce Nigeria’s president and urged the zone to be strategic in its political decisions.
He commended Tinubu for “legacy projects” in the region and warned that failure to support the president would be detrimental to the south-east.
“All the marginalization we complain about has been addressed by the president — unless we are not being truthful to ourselves, there is no more marginalization in the south-east,” Umahi said.
“You know, giving the ministry of works to the south-east is no mean feat, because we have never had a minister of works.
“You can see the results and the intention of the president. You can see the good heart of the president. So it’s time for payback.”
The minister said ongoing road projects from Port Harcourt to Enugu show the scale of federal presence in the region, noting that the south-east has never benefited as much in Nigeria’s history.
“When I was deputy governor, then governor for eight years, not a single federal road project came to the state. But today, we can boast of numerous projects ongoing,” he said.
“We can boast of projects worth trillions of naira in the south-east, just like in other regions. The biggest legacy projects of the president are in the south-east.
“We have service chiefs, key appointments, and a lot happening in the south-east under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. So it’s time to support the president.
“The people of the south-east should support the president. We should not be guided by sentiments or non-strategic moves. We should tell our brother, Peter Obi, that it is not yet our turn.”
Umahi assured the contractor handling the project of prompt release of funds to ensure completion ahead of the president’s planned tour of projects in the south-east and south-south in May.
Umahi said the road section is designed to last 50 years and welcomed scrutiny from the public.
“Criticise us and praise us, nothing goes wrong. Our eyes are on the ball, and we are committed in prayers for the president. I urge Nigerians to visit project sites to verify progress,” he said.
“All projects have been sent to the ICPC for evaluation, so transparency is ensured.”
Umahi also inspected the Port Harcourt axis of the expressway being executed by an indigenous contractor.
