Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has urged people of the South-East to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, citing the Federal Government’s infrastructure projects and other interventions in the region.
Umahi made the call in Abuja on Tuesday while receiving a report on the North-West leg of the Nationwide Federal Roads Project Tour conducted by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
He called on political and community leaders in the South-East to engage residents on what he described as the benefits of the Tinubu administration’s policies, appointments and infrastructure investments.
“It is a strategic decision that we Igbos must make,” Umahi said, while commending South-East governors and Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo for what he described as a bold political position.
The minister argued that discussions about the South-East’s place in the federation should consider both federal appointments and infrastructure development.
According to him, the Tinubu administration has undertaken projects aimed at addressing some of the region’s longstanding infrastructure concerns. Federal Government communications have previously highlighted projects in the South-East, including sections of the Calabar-Abuja Trans-Sahara Superhighway and road links between Ebonyi and Cross River states.
Umahi challenged critics to compare the Federal Government’s current interventions with those of previous administrations, while welcoming what he described as constructive criticism.
He also argued that supporting Tinubu could strengthen the South-East’s case for reciprocal political support from other regions whenever the zone seeks the presidency.
NANS Presents Road Inspection Report
Turning to infrastructure, Umahi commended NANS for independently inspecting federal road projects across the country.
The North-West leg of the students’ tour covered Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna and Sokoto states, with the association assessing the condition, quality and progress of several federal roads. NANS also recommended the construction of a pedestrian bridge near the Federal Co-operative College in Kaduna to improve student safety.
Umahi said the Federal Government had expanded the scope of its major legacy road projects and cited the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, Akwanga-Jos Road, Gombe-Bauchi Road, Bauchi-Jos Road and other corridors among projects receiving attention.
He said the Federal Government would provide 30 per cent of the financing for some legacy projects, while 70 per cent would come from loans expected to be repaid through toll revenues after completion.
The minister also defended the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, saying the project would provide significant benefits to the Niger Delta and the wider economy.
The highway is designed to pass through several coastal states, including Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River, linking communities and economic corridors along Nigeria’s coastline.
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