Minister of Works David Umahi has urged the South-East to give overwhelming support to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections, warning that failing to do so could jeopardise ongoing federal infrastructure projects in the region.
Umahi made the statement on Wednesday during an inspection tour of federal road and bridge projects in Ebonyi State. He described the current level of investment as “unprecedented in the history of the South-East,” saying no previous administration had committed such resources to the zone.
Among the projects inspected was the Calabar–Ebonyi–Benue–Nasarawa–Abuja Superhighway, which he called one of the administration’s legacy projects. According to Umahi, the stretch from Ndibe Beach in Ebonyi State to the Ebonyi–Benue boundary covers about 123 kilometres and is being built with reinforced concrete pavement and solar-powered streetlights at an estimated cost of N454 billion. The Federal Government has already released 50 percent of the funding, with approvals underway for the dualisation of critical sections.
Section two of the corridor, running about 178 kilometres from the Ebonyi–Benue boundary through Benue, Kogi and Nasarawa states to Oweto Bridge, has a contract value of N685 billion. Umahi acknowledged funding challenges facing contractors but said the Federal Government remained committed to meeting its 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.
The minister argued that communities benefitting from federal projects should reciprocate politically by supporting Tinubu in the next election. “Communities that benefit from federal projects should support Tinubu in the next election,” Umahi stated.
This is not the first time Umahi has linked political support to development. At a separate event in Owerri earlier this year, he said the South-East had a “pride of place” in Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda and pointed to projects like the Onitsha-Enugu road, Owerri-Aba road, and Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway as evidence….See More
