2027: No opposition gang-up can stop Tinubu, says Umahi
…urges Southeast leaders to be bold enough to tell truth …opens up Enugu – Onitsha highway for Easter Nwanosike Onu, Awka, Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki, & Elekwachi Chinedum, Onitsha Minister for
...urges Southeast leaders to be bold enough to tell truth
...opens up Enugu - Onitsha highway for Easter
Nwanosike Onu, Awka, Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki, & Elekwachi Chinedum, Onitsha
Minister for Works, David Umahi, has declared that there is no form of gang-up by opposition political parties that can stop the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
He challenged the Southeast leaders to be bold enough to tell the people of the zone the good works the President has done in the zone
He described Tinubu as God's gift to the region, saying its people have no reason to complain given the massive development witnessed across the zone.
Umahi spoke during the opening of the Eke Obinagu-Emene flyover to traffic, announcing a measure to ease congestion during the Easter celebration.
The Minister also opened the Km 15 Enugu Onitsha Expressway from Abakpa junction through Ugwu Onyeama hill to the 9th mile.
He also disclosed his directive that all failed asphalt sections of the road be reviewed, just as he had directed full solar lighting from Enugu to the Onitsha expressway.
The Minister further added that he directed full tree planting from Enugu to Onitsha, saying, "That’s the gift of Mr President to the Southeast. He'll do more for us."
His words: "God has spoken to me that His mighty hands are upon President Bola Tinubu. Our people must be strategic.
"We won't gain the presidency through foul language or mere wishes. Otherwise, nobody will give it to us. Whatever I tell you, write it down because it will come to pass. No matter who is on the presidential ticket, the Southeast must be wise.
"The marginalization we're talking about is over. For the first time, we're in the helm of affairs. For the first time, your son is the Minister of Works. We also have two service chiefs under this administration.
"As we develop other regions, the Southeast is not left behind. We have no reason to be bitter? Yes, the Southeast deserves to be president, but we need to support the incumbent to get ours.
"I'm bold to say that all Southeast governors are supporting President Bola Tinubu. But we have to trickle down to our supporters. I want our leader, the Imo state governor, to charge all the Southeast leaders to be very vocal about supporting Mr President.
"I want to plead with Southeast leaders to be bold in convincing our people on the need to vote for Mr President. If you're a leader in Southeast and you're not vocal in the declaration, then you're not for us
"Let them know what the president has done for us. Let them know that if we appreciate the ones he's done, he'll do more for the region. Governance is about development, infrastructure, fairness, equity, and justice.
"We can't afford to give him anything less than 80percent; do that and leave the rest for us. We'll boldly go to the negotiation table.
"Let nobody split our votes, let nobody mislead us. I was shouting it in 2023 while I was the governor, prepare the way for the lord. This time, I'm shouting, be strategic in voting for President Bola Tinubu.
"The same way you understood your son being the Minister, the same way you need to understand our being strategic."
Umahi recalled the deplorable condition of the road prior to the current administration, noting that commuters previously spent over seven hours traveling between Enugu and Onitsha due to years of neglect and stalled construction.
“This is the most important route in the Southeast,” the minister said, stressing that the project had been awarded long before 2023 but remained largely abandoned for about eight years with little or no meaningful progress.
According to him, the road was initially being handled under a tax credit arrangement involving MTN and construction giant RCC.
However, he said the project suffered delays until the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, who ordered its acceleration and a redesign of critical sections.
Umahi explained that the federal government reviewed the original ₦202 billion contract, retaining part of it while carving out a 72-kilometre stretch for reconstruction using reinforced concrete pavement.
The new section, valued at about ₦150 billion, is being executed to higher durability standards similar to those used on the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway.
In total, he said, the full reconstruction of the Enugu–Onitsha road is now valued at over ₦350 billion.
Highlighting progress made so far, the minister disclosed that the first 15 kilometres of the reinforced concrete section are about 97 percent completed and have been opened to traffic to ease movement during the Easter period.
He added that another 18-kilometre stretch is under construction towards Anambra State, while a separate 39-kilometre segment extending from the Niger Bridge axis is also ongoing.
Umahi further revealed that contractors handling asphalt portions of the road have been directed to adopt the same concrete standard for the remaining 23 kilometres, citing the longer lifespan and minimal maintenance requirements of concrete roads compared to asphalt.
“Asphalt fails over time, but concrete can last between 50 and 100 years with little or no maintenance,” he said.
Read Also: Tinubu fixing Nigeria’s roads despite inheriting heavy debt burden — Umahi
The minister emphasized that upon completion, at least 50 percent of the entire highway will be built with reinforced concrete, significantly improving durability and reducing long-term costs.
He listed ongoing projects in the Southeast to include sections of the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway, with parts already nearing completion, and the dualization of the Enugu–Abakaliki road.
He also mentioned reconstruction works on the Afikpo–Abia–Okigwe corridor under a tax credit scheme, as well as major upgrades to the Aba–Port Harcourt road.
The minister noted that construction is also underway for access roads and bypasses connected to the Second Niger Bridge, along with several flyovers and interchanges, including what he described as one of the longest flyovers, located in the region.
He added that previously collapsed bridges along the Enugu–Porthacourt axis have been rebuilt within months and are now equipped with solar-powered lighting systems, part of a broader plan to illuminate major highways.
Umahi also referenced large-scale national projects such as the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway and a proposed corridor linking Calabar through Ebonyi and Benue to Abuja, which he said would drastically cut travel time between the Southeast and the Federal Capital Territory.
Addressing concerns raised by journalists about alleged abandoned projects, the minister insisted that work is ongoing across multiple sites and urged the public to rely on verified information.
“Projects are not abandoned. You need to visit these sites. Many of them are progressing steadily,” he said.
On rail infrastructure, Umahi clarified that the proposed eastern rail corridor linking Port Harcourt to Maiduguri falls under the Ministry of Transport, adding that procurement processes are ongoing.
