The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has said the 2027 general election is not the turn of the Igbo to produce the President of Nigeria.
DAILY POST reports that Umahi stated this on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at the flag-off of the Federal Ministry of Works’ formal takeover of the temporary rehabilitation of the Benin-Asaba Highway in Benin City.
Umahi was apparently reacting to a statement allegedly credited to the former Governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, that the minister “is not his match.”
The former Governor of Ebonyi State, who defended the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu against growing criticism, said “it’s not the turn of the Igbos yet” to produce Nigeria’s president.
According to him, when Obi said that he was not Umahi’s match, it took him 10 minutes to think about the statement.
“Does Peter Obi have a stronger family background, intellectual credentials or record of service to the South-East?
“Is it what we have done for the people of the South-East? Is it what we did when we were governors? So, when you say he’s not my match, put it side by side and tell me which area Peter Obi is better than me.
“What we are saying is that it’s not the turn of the Igbos yet. The South-East would eventually have its opportunity to produce the president, but the current political moment belongs to Tinubu.
“I want to be president, but it’s not yet our turn. It’s the turn of President Bola Tinubu,” he said.
While rejecting what he described as attempts to portray the Tinubu administration negatively, the minister argued that the Federal Government’s infrastructure projects were benefiting communities across the country.
The minister, who stated that political opportunities would eventually come for the South-East, added that “when it is our turn, at the time of God, He makes all things beautiful.”
He further urged supporters of the Tinubu administration to defend the President’s achievements in the South-South, South-East and other parts of the country.
“We are saying that the President has done very well. In South-South, in South-East and in the entire geopolitical zone, he deserves continuity, he deserves support,” the minister added.
Also speaking, the Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, alleged that those who fought against former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 were also ganging up against President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election.
Okpebholo, who said there was no vacancy in Aso Rock, opined that “you don’t change a working president.”
“People that want to contest now against Tinubu have all ruled in one way or the other, either in low capacity or in higher capacity.
“While they were there, they fought former President Goodluck Jonathan because he wanted to build Almajiri schools to educate youths and Almajiri so that there would be no problem like what we are having today.
“But they fought him and made sure he lost the election. The same set of people are still ganging up again to fight President Tinubu so that he would not come back. There is no vacancy in Aso Rock. Asiwaju’s eight years must be complete,” he added.
Okpebholo, who did not mention the names of those he alleged were ganging up against Tinubu, however, advised them not to waste their money in the name of contesting the election, saying politicians would only collect their money and would not vote for them.
“Our President is not a supermarket man, but supermarket people want to rule Nigeria now, even when there is no vacancy in Aso Rock.
“Let them wait. When it is the turn of supermarket people, and if there is no technocrat, they can contest for president.
“If others had performed and done what Asiwaju is doing today, he wouldn’t have much work to do,” he said.
2027: It’s not Igbo’s turn to produce president – Umahi declares