By: Manoah Kikekon
 |
| David Umahi |
In a statement that is set to reshape the political landscape ahead of the 2027 elections, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, has firmly stated that the South-East geopolitical zone should not expect to produce Nigeria's next president, asserting that it is not yet their turn.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Sunday, Umahi, a former governor of Ebonyi State, emphasized the need for political fairness and continuity. He rooted his argument in the precedent set before the 2023 elections, where 17 southern governors collectively agreed that the presidency should rotate to the south.
“No, it is not our time; it is not the time of the South-East yet,” Umahi stated categorically. He recalled that while the South-East also desired the presidency in 2023, the victory of President Bola Tinubu, a southerner from the South-West, meant that the zone's immediate claim was invalid.
“It is wrong for the South-East to come and say it is their turn,” the minister added, dismissing the growing clamour from his own region.
Umahi laid out a clear political timeline, insisting that President Bola Tinubu must complete two terms in office before the South-East can legitimately vie for the position. He projected that the zone could then contest in 2031, a year he also suggested the North-East might join the race as it has never produced a president.
“The eight years he took is for all of us, both the South and the North. So he has to finish,” Umahi explained. “And when he has finished in 2031, the South-East can now vie, in the sense that they have never tasted the position before. And when the time comes, we have sons and daughters that are eminently qualified.”
The Minister conceded that the South-East has suffered marginalisation in the past, which he cited as the reason for the All Progressives Congress (APC)'s poor performance in the zone during the 2023 polls, where it secured only 5.85% of the total votes.
However, he was quick to praise President Tinubu's inclusive approach, stating, “Right now, President Bola Tinubu does not want to know where you come from. He is treating everybody very nicely.”
Umahi defended the current administration's commitment to the South-East by pointing to massive federal infrastructure projects underway. He highlighted that his pivotal role as Minister of Works was equivalent to "five grade A ministers" and listed key projects like the Enugu-Onitsha road, the Port Harcourt-Aba road, and the Trans-Sahara road from Ebonyi, with a combined value running into hundreds of billions of Naira.
“I can beat my chest about what Mr Tinubu had done for the South-East in the last two years,” Umahi declared, framing infrastructure development as a more tangible benefit than political appointments.
This declaration from a high-profile minister from the South-East is likely to ignite intense debate and could potentially create a significant rift within the political class, setting the stage for a contentious battle over the zoning arrangement for the 2027 presidency.