Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has dismissed concerns over Peter Obi’s political influence ahead of the 2027 presidential election, insisting that the former Anambra State governor poses no threat to President Bola Tinubu or the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Umahi made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where he said Obi was not the only presidential aspirant from the South-East and that several other candidates from the region were also contesting the election.
“Peter Obi is not a threat as far as I am concerned,” the minister said, while stressing that he was not underestimating the former governor. He described Obi as his brother and friend and challenged presidential aspirants to present evidence of what they achieved at the community level while in public office.
Umahi also expressed confidence that the APC would perform significantly better in the South-East in 2027, attributing the party’s poor showing in the region during the 2023 election partly to what he described as marginalisation under the previous administration.
He pointed to the appointment of South-East politicians to key federal positions under Tinubu as evidence that the situation had changed. Umahi said the APC could win all five South-East states in 2027, despite Obi having won the five states for the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election.
The minister further said efforts to secure a sixth state for the South-East were ongoing, describing the process as a “work in progress.” He maintained that the region was seeking equitable treatment rather than preferential treatment from the Federal Government.
