Minister of Works, David Umahi, has said Peter Obi cannot be regarded as the South-East’s best presidential candidate, insisting that the region has other qualified political figures who can aspire to lead Nigeria.
Umahi made the statement during an interview with ARISE News on Friday, while defending South-East political leaders supporting President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The former Ebonyi State governor criticised Obi for allegedly failing to consult political leaders and stakeholders in the region before pursuing his presidential ambition in 2023.
“Peter Obi is not the best of our finest in South East. He’s not the best, he can never be the best,” Umahi said.
He argued that anyone seeking to represent the South-East in the presidential race should first engage governors and other influential political figures in the region.
“You cannot play politics in South East without consulting people like us,” he said.
Umahi added that he would have consulted political leaders if he had sought the presidency, stressing that an ambition carrying the expectations of an entire region should not be pursued in isolation.
“If I were contesting, I would have consulted,” he said.
The minister also rejected the suggestion that the presidency should automatically go to Anambra State if the South-East gets the opportunity to produce Nigeria’s next president.
He recalled that Nigeria’s first President, Nnamdi Azikiwe, came from the area now known as Anambra State, arguing that other states in the region should also have an opportunity.
Umahi named Ebonyi, Enugu, Abia and Imo as states that should be considered in future discussions about producing a president from the South-East.
He maintained that the region’s chances of producing a president depended on political negotiations and alliances with other parts of the country, rather than treating support for one candidate as a test of regional loyalty.
The minister also rejected claims that South-East leaders backing Tinubu were betraying the region because of their political choices.
In September, Umahi had challenged comparisons between himself and Obi, saying he saw no area in which the former Anambra governor was superior to him.
He also said the South-East would eventually produce Nigeria’s president but insisted that “it is not yet our turn.”
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