ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has cautioned that the South-East risks losing key federal infrastructure projects if it fails to strongly back President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
Umahi said sustained political alignment with the current administration is necessary to guarantee the continuation and expansion of ongoing federal development projects in the region.
He made the remarks on Wednesday during an inspection tour of federal road and bridge projects in Ebonyi State.
The minister described the ongoing works as unprecedented in the history of the South-East, insisting that no previous administration had committed such level of investment to the region’s infrastructure.
Among the projects inspected was the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue-Nasarawa-Abuja Superhighway, which he described as a flagship legacy project of the Tinubu administration.
According to him, the segment from Ndibe Beach in Ebonyi State to the Ebonyi-Benue boundary spans about 123 kilometres and is being executed with reinforced concrete pavement and solar-powered streetlights, at an estimated cost of N454 billion.
He added that the Federal Government had already released 50 per cent of the project funding, with approvals underway for the dualisation of key sections.
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Umahi further disclosed that Section Two of the corridor, covering about 178 kilometres from the Ebonyi-Benue boundary through Benue, Kogi and Nasarawa States to Oweto Bridge, is valued at N685 billion.
While acknowledging funding delays affecting contractors, he maintained that the Federal Government remained committed to settling all outstanding obligations.
“The President has assured us that all contractors owed will be paid. Today, there is hardly any state in Nigeria without a construction site under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
He urged communities benefitting from federal projects to reciprocate through political support for the president.
“Last time, Afikpo people did not vote for APC. If they want this bridge completed, I will require 100 per cent of the votes. I am not asking for 99 per cent,” he declared.
Umahi insisted that only the current administration had the capacity to execute such large-scale infrastructure projects, noting that previous governments only made promises without delivery.
“Only President Bola Ahmed Tinubu can build these roads and bridges. Past politicians used this bridge as campaign promises, but this President came and started the work without making noise about it,” he said.
He argued that the South-East had gained renewed relevance in national politics under Tinubu, citing his own appointment as Minister of Works and the spread of federal projects across the region.
“We shouted marginalisation before, but today no ministry is bigger than the Ministry of Works, and it is being headed by an Igbo man,” he said.
Umahi called on regional leaders to openly support the President and educate residents on government achievements.
He projected that significant portions of ongoing projects would be completed before the end of the year, urging voters to avoid sentiment in the 2027 elections.
“This election is not a lottery. The presidency is not won by sentiment but by strategic planning,” he added.
The minister further stated that the administration had delivered across infrastructure, security, education, healthcare and youth empowerment sectors, insisting that Ebonyi State alone would deliver 95 per cent of its votes for Tinubu in 2027.