Minister of Works and former Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, has cast doubt on the credibility of the coalition seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections. Speaking during the Sallah festivities in Abakaliki, Umahi described the coalition leaders as “faceless” and lacking legitimacy.
The coalition, which brings together political heavyweights such as Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai, Babachir Lawal, and Salihu Lukman, has been in talks to present a united front against Tinubu and the APC.
Umahi, however, insisted that Tinubu’s achievements in governance and national integration outweigh the opposition’s efforts. He pointed to the increased federal presence in the South-East, a region previously marginalized in terms of development projects. “Before now, many South-East states had no federal projects. Today, the federal presence is visible across the region. That is what true national integration looks like,” Umahi said.
He commended Tinubu for appointing individuals from the South-East to strategic government positions, including himself, the Chief of Naval Staff, and the Minister of Science and Technology. These appointments, Umahi argued, are significant steps towards reintegrating the region into national politics.
“We lost political ground in the past, but this government is bringing us back. It’s not yet perfect, but we are no longer left behind. We must acknowledge that and support the President,” he remarked.
Umahi called for unity in the South-East and urged residents to avoid divisive rhetoric. “The South-East must count one before counting two. We need reintegration, not isolation. President Tinubu has started this process—we must not waste the opportunity,” he urged.
Additionally, Umahi lauded Tinubu’s promotion of interfaith harmony, referencing the President’s leadership of a Nigerian delegation to the Vatican for the Pope’s inauguration as a landmark gesture of religious tolerance.