David Umahi, Minister of Works and former Ebonyi State Governor, has openly challenged the credibility of the coalition forming against President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections. Umahi, speaking during the 2025 Sallah celebration with the Muslim community in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, labeled the opposition as “faceless” and lacking in substance.
The coalition, which includes notable figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar (PDP), Peter Obi (Labour Party), ex-Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal, and former APC National Vice Chairman (North West) Salihu Lukman, aims to unseat Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next general election.
Umahi asserted that President Tinubu’s record in governance and his strategy for national integration are compelling reasons for his re-election. “Before now, many South-East states had no federal projects. Today, the federal presence is visible across the region. That is what true national integration looks like,” Umahi said, emphasizing the transformation under Tinubu’s leadership.
He further urged the South-East to support Tinubu, noting the President’s efforts to reverse years of federal neglect in the region. Umahi highlighted key appointments from the South-East, including his own as Minister of Works, the Chief of Naval Staff, and the Minister of Science and Technology, as evidence of Tinubu’s commitment to inclusive governance.
“We lost political ground in the past, but this government is bringing us back. It’s not yet perfect, but we are no longer left behind. We must acknowledge that and support the President,” Umahi added.
He called on the region to reject divisive rhetoric and instead pursue constructive engagement with the federal government. “The South-East must count one before counting two. We need reintegration, not isolation. President Tinubu has started this process—we must not waste the opportunity,” he stated.
Umahi also praised Tinubu for promoting interfaith harmony, citing the President’s leadership of a Nigerian delegation to the Vatican for the Pope’s inauguration as a “unique and historic” act that has fostered religious tolerance and unity.
