The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has said concerns about marginalisation raised by people of the South-East have been addressed by President Bola Tinubu, expressing confidence that the region will deliver 90 per cent support for the President in the 2027 presidential election.
Umahi made the remarks on Saturday while inspecting ongoing works at the Alaoji axis of the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway.
The minister stated that it is not yet the turn of the South-East geopolitical zone to produce Nigeria’s president.
According to him, “All the marginalisation we complain about has been addressed by the President. Unless we are not being truthful to ourselves, there is no more marginalisation in the South-East.
“You know, giving the Ministry of Works to the South-East is no mean feat because we have never had a Minister of Works from the zone. You can see the results and the intention of the President. You can see the goodwill of the President.
“So, it’s time for payback. You all know the scale of work from Port Harcourt down to Enugu. Every section of this project is ongoing towards completion. Never in Nigeria’s history have we benefited as much.
“When I was deputy governor and then governor for eight years, not a single federal road project came to the state. But today, we can boast of numerous ongoing projects. We can boast of projects worth trillions of naira in the South-East, just like in other regions.
“The biggest legacy projects of the President are in the South-East. We have service chiefs, key appointments, and a lot happening in the South-East under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. So, it’s time to support the President. The people of the South-East should support the President.
“We should not be guided by sentiments or non-strategic moves. We should tell our brother, Peter Obi, that it is not yet our turn.”
Umahi also assured the company handling the project of the prompt release of funds to ensure completion ahead of the President’s planned tour of projects in the South-East and South-South geopolitical zones in May.
