2027: ‘Peter Obi Can Never Be Southeast’s Best Presidential Candidate’ — Umahi

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has declared that Peter Obi can never be considered the South-East’s best presidential candidate, arguing that the region has other qualified political figures capable of leading Nigeria.

Umahi made the remarks during an interview with ARISE News on Friday while defending South-East political leaders supporting President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The former Ebonyi State governor criticised Obi for allegedly pursuing his presidential bid without consulting governors and other influential political stakeholders in the South-East.

“Peter Obi is not the best of our finest in South-East. He’s not the best; he can never be the best,” Umahi said.

He argued that presidential aspirants seeking to represent the region should first consult its political leaders, insisting that such an ambition should not be pursued without engaging key stakeholders.

“You cannot play politics in South-East without consulting people like us,” he said.

The minister added that he would have consulted regional leaders if he had decided to contest the presidency, stressing that an ambition presented as representing an entire region required broader political consensus.

“If I were contesting, I would have consulted,” Umahi said.

The minister also rejected the suggestion that Anambra State should automatically produce Nigeria’s president if the South-East is allowed to hold the position.

Referring to Nigeria’s first president, Nnamdi Azikiwe, who hailed from what is now Anambra State, Umahi argued that other states in the region should also be considered.

He specifically named Ebonyi, Enugu, Abia and Imo as states that should feature in discussions about the South-East’s presidential ambition.

“Others are doing 8yrs, but Peter Obi decided that Igbos should do just 4yrs. Who in the South-East reached that agreement with him? Nobody did. Even if South-East should produce President, it should come from Ebonyi State,” he said.

The minister also rejected claims that South-East political leaders supporting Tinubu were betraying the region because of their political choices.

He maintained that the South-East’s prospects of producing a Nigerian president depended on political negotiations, alliances and support from other regions, rather than insisting that all political leaders from the zone must rally behind a single candidate.

Although he expressed confidence that the South-East would eventually produce Nigeria’s president, Umahi maintained that the region’s time had not yet come.

“It is not yet our turn,” he said.