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2027: Obi Isn’t A Threat, Tinubu’ll Win All South East States – Umahi
The minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu will secure re-election in 2027 and predicted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will win all five states in the Southeast.
Umahi stated this when he appeared on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where he said his confidence in Tinubu’s return was rooted in his belief that God brought the president into office at a difficult period in the country’s history.
According to the minister, Tinubu assumed office amid numerous challenges and obstacles but had continued to make difficult decisions aimed at addressing Nigeria’s economic problems.
“I have faith in God that the President will return because he came at a very challenging period. All manner of obstacles were thrown in his way, but power belongs to God,” Umahi said.
He said his close working relationship with Tinubu had also convinced him that the president had good intentions for the country.
“I have worked very closely with him. I have seen his good heart, I have seen his good intentions, and I’m telling you that the President has never asked me to give jobs to this or that person,” he said.
Umahi also expressed confidence that Tinubu would make significant gains in the Southeast during the 2027 presidential election, saying his faith suggested that the APC could win the five states in the region.
“I will not tell you whether we will win the five votes of the Southeast or not, but the President is going to harvest a lot of votes in the Southeast. My faith is telling me we will win the five states,” he said.
While dismissing the claim that the presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, could pose a threat to the ruling party in the South East, the minister urged Nigerians to move away from regional politics, arguing that such an approach would not benefit the country.
“We shouldn’t play regional politics because it doesn’t help us. As a region, we should be able to have a handshake across the Niger,” he added.
Umahi also defended Tinubu’s economic reforms, acknowledging that they had caused hardship, particularly for vulnerable Nigerians, but insisting that the measures were necessary to tackle the country’s economic difficulties.
He argued that the administration should be assessed by comparing the economic situation when Tinubu assumed office with the current situation, rather than judging the reforms solely by the immediate hardship they had caused.
The minister said the administration’s infrastructure programme was also part of its effort to establish the foundation for long-term economic growth.
He disclosed that Tinubu inherited 2,068 projects valued at about N13 trillion when he assumed office in 2023, adding that about 80 per cent of the projects being executed by his ministry were inherited from the previous administration.
Umahi said Tinubu had directed him not to abandon the inherited projects because many of them were located along major economic corridors.
He listed the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Road, Trans-Sahara/Trans-Harada corridor and Akwanga-Jos Road among major road projects being pursued by the administration.
On the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Umahi rejected allegations of wrongdoing and said he was prepared to take responsibility for the procurement process.
He said the first 47.47-kilometre section had been completed, while work on the second section was nearing completion.
According to him, the legacy projects were being financed through an Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Financing arrangement, with the Federal Government providing 30 per cent and 70 per cent sourced through external financing.
Umahi said Deutsche Bank provided financing for Section One of the coastal highway, adding that the facility was oversubscribed by $100 million.
The minister had earlier expressed confidence that four major legacy road projects would be completed within the next three years “by God’s special grace.”
Jide-Ojo Jide Olusola, SA Media to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Grassroots Sports Development, Hon. Adeboye Anthony Adeyinka, has been named among the speakers for the Year of Return Africa (YORA) Summit & Expo 2026 holding in Nairobi, Kenya.
Jide-Ojo, Founder/CEO of 247SportsNetwork Limited, publishers of Sports247.ng, will join leading African business executives, investors, innovators and industry stakeholders at the summit scheduled for October 13–14 at Broadwalk Mall, Westlands, Nairobi.
The veteran media executive, who has accumulated over 30 years of experience in the media industry, will participate in the summit’s sport business segment on October 14, bringing perspectives from sports journalism, grassroots development, strategic communications, partnerships and the commercialisation of African sport.
Jide-Ojo joins a diverse speakers’ lineup that includes Blue Mahoe Capital Chairman and CEO David Mullings, Kenya Film Commission Board Chairman Sudi Wandabusi, Capital Markets Authority Blockchain and Fintech Analyst James Hillary Obonyo, Emmppek Group Chairman Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua, and B|E Strategy Founder and Chief Strategist Charles Ellison, among others.
The summit, themed “Fueling the Future: Unlocking Africa’s Entrepreneurial Potential,” will examine investment, innovation, technology, entrepreneurship and opportunities within Africa’s creative economy.
A major focus of the sport business conversation will be the monetisation of Africa’s sports, media and entertainment industry, including how the continent can transform its enormous sporting talent, passionate audiences and compelling stories into sustainable commercial opportunities.
Through Sports247 and his current media role supporting the Presidency’s grassroots sports development agenda, Jide-Ojo has consistently promoted emerging athletes, grassroots competitions and initiatives aimed at creating greater visibility and opportunities within Nigeria’s sports ecosystem.
His contribution in Nairobi is expected to highlight the increasingly important role of media, digital storytelling, athlete branding, sponsorship and strategic partnerships in building commercially sustainable African sports properties.
The Nairobi platform will also provide an opportunity to share Nigeria’s grassroots sports experience while strengthening connections between sport, media, investment and business across Africa.
Following the Nairobi programme, YORA activities will continue in Kilifi, Kenya, from October 16–17.
YORA Summit & EXPO Kenya, 2026 is a three-day event including YORA Awards taking place from 12th – 17th Nairobi | Kilifi, Kenya
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