Minister of Works, David Umahi, has accused the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, of initiating their public disagreement over the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.
In an interview with Arise News, Umahi claimed Obi came directly to a construction site where he was working and publicly “castigated” him, which he deemed highly unfair.
“I did not criticise Peter Obi; he started the confrontation by coming to the construction site where I was working and publicly castigating me. I consider that very unfair,” Umahi said.
The minister added that his comments about Obi were a response to what he described as a pattern of condemning others.
“I only said that when you continually condemn others, you bring judgment upon yourself,” he said.
Umahi also faulted Obi for allegedly failing to caution some of his supporters over comments he considered offensive to Christians.
He cited a remark reportedly made by one of Obi’s supporters that even if Jesus contested an election, Obi would win, describing it as an affront to the Christian faith.
“One of them reportedly said that even if Jesus contested in an election, Peter Obi would win. That is an affront to our faith, and I expected Peter Obi to speak out against such a statement,” he said.
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The minister’s comments followed his criticism of Obi’s presidential credentials, arguing that the former Anambra governor was not the best candidate the South-East could produce.
“Peter Obi is not the best of our finest in South-East,” Umahi said. “He’s not the best; he can never be the best.”
Umahi maintained that his position was not motivated by personal differences with Obi, but by his belief that the region had other qualified political figures who could pursue the presidency.
The former Ebonyi State governor argued that anyone seeking to represent the South-East’s political interests at the national level should first consult governors and other influential leaders in the region.
“You cannot play politics in South-East without consulting people like us,” he said.
Umahi said building consensus among regional stakeholders was important for anyone seeking to advance a presidential ambition on behalf of the South-East.
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