Umahi: It’s Not Yet the South-East’s Turn for Presidency in 2027

Minister of Works, David Umahi, has said that the South-East region must remain patient in its pursuit of the Nigerian presidency, declaring that “it is not yet the zone’s turn.”

Umahi made this known during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, stressing the importance of political fairness and continuity ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“No, it is not our time; it is not the time of the South-East yet,” Umahi stated. “We, the 17 Southern governors, met in Asaba before 2023 and agreed that the next president should come from the South, regardless of political party.
All of us tried, but the crown came upon President Bola Tinubu. He is from the South, and so, it is wrong for the South-East to say it is their turn.”

The minister said President Bola Tinubu should be allowed to complete his eight-year tenure, which he described as a mandate for the entire South and North.

“He has to finish the eight years. The eight years he took is for all of us, both the South and the North. When he has finished in 2031, the South-East can now vie for the position since they have never held it before,” he explained.

Umahi added that both the South-East and North-East would be in fair contention by 2031, noting that equity and rotation of power should guide Nigeria’s leadership structure.

He acknowledged the historical marginalisation of the South-East, which, according to him, contributed to the region’s weak performance for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 presidential election — where the party secured only 5.85% of the total votes in the zone.

“It was difficult for some of us to deliver the South-East for the APC because of the unfair treatment our people had suffered in the past,” he said.

However, Umahi praised President Tinubu for adopting an inclusive governance style, saying the president had shown fairness to all regions.

“President Bola Tinubu does not want to know where you come from. He is treating everybody very nicely,” Umahi said.
“The South-East might say they did not get many appointments, but the position of the Minister of Works is equivalent to five Grade A ministers.”

The minister highlighted several major infrastructural projects currently ongoing in the South-East, including:

• Enugu–Onitsha dual carriageway (₦202 billion by MTN and ₦150 billion by CBC),
• Port Harcourt–Aba road (86km),
• Aba–Umuahia road (56km x 2),
• Umuahia–Lokpanta road (6km),
• Lokpanta–Enugu road (61km x 2),
• Enugu–Abakaliki dualisation (₦183 billion), and
• Trans-Sahara highway from Ebonyi to Benue boundary (₦456 billion).

He also mentioned flyover and bridge projects in Enugu, Anambra, and Cross River being executed under Tinubu’s administration, including the Afigbo–Uturu–Okigwe route valued at ₦193 billion through Dangote tax credits.

“If the president is doing all these, we have no reason not to be grateful,” Umahi said. “We should be clapping with our hands and legs for President Bola Tinubu.”

Umahi concluded by urging the South-East to recognise the realities of the present political climate while preparing strategically for future opportunities.

“Yes, acknowledge the past, but let us also emphasise the realities of what is happening now. We have sons and daughters who are eminently qualified, and when the time comes, the South-East will take its rightful place,” he said.

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