The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has publicly declared that he considers himself to be actively on the ballot for the 2027 presidential election whenever President Bola Tinubu runs for office. The high-profile minister made these remarkable assertions on Sunday while conducting a field inspection of an ongoing federal road construction project, using the platform to emphasize how deeply his own political future is intertwined with that of the current administration.
Umahi explained that his perspective is fundamentally driven by a desire to secure the future of Nigeria's infrastructure. He stressed that the successful re-election of President Tinubu is absolutely vital to ensure the seamless execution and eventual completion of the massive, multi-billion naira infrastructure projects currently being carried out across the length and breadth of the country. The minister warned that any sudden disruption in federal leadership could result in the abandonment of these critical road networks, a trend that has historically plagued the nation's development.
These highly strategic political comments come amid an escalating, heated public exchange between the works minister and the prominent presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi. The two major political actors have been locked in a fierce, ongoing debate regarding their respective performance records and tangible achievements while serving in public office. The friction intensified after a video went viral online showing Umahi directly addressing the political rivalry.
In the recorded footage circulated across various social media networks, Umahi revealed that he had explicitly informed the opposition leader that he views his own political destiny as being fundamentally tied to the president's ticket. He told the public that he had made it clear to Peter Obi that he considers himself a direct part of the upcoming electoral contest whenever President Bola Tinubu seeks a second term in office. He explained his mindset by stating that because he is completely determined to see current projects through to completion without any stoppage, he wants everyone to work together to ensure a decisive victory alongside the president.
The minister took time to clarify that his vocal stance should not be misinterpreted as a personal, self-serving ambition to grab power. Instead, he maintained that it is entirely about ensuring institutional continuity in governance, which he believes is currently lacking in certain sectors. According to him, the complex, capital-intensive highway developments and regional infrastructure networks being built today require a high level of political stability and consistent, unwavering executive leadership to successfully reach full completion.
Umahi’s latest remarks have added fresh fuel to a political feud that began only days prior when a disagreement broke out over a proposed public debate. The minister had formally challenged the former Anambra State governor to a live, televised discussion where both figures would present, analyze, and defend their concrete administrative achievements during their respective tenures as state governors.
However, the opposition candidate declined the invitation to debate. The former governor argued that the works minister was not structurally qualified to engage him on such a high-stakes platform at this time. He insisted that the minister would first need to formally emerge as an independent presidential candidate before he could legitimately seek to challenge him in a public debate. By linking his name directly to Tinubu’s 2027 ticket, Umahi has effectively answered that critique, positioning himself as a central figure in the unfolding national political discourse.
