Minister of Works David Umahi has dismissed claims that there are threats to the life of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi, describing such assertions as unfounded and a reflection of political frustration.
Speaking on Friday while inspecting President Bola Tinubu’s legacy infrastructure projects in Ebonyi State, Umahi cautioned Obi against what he described as persistent attacks on the President, saying he would continue to respond whenever Tinubu was criticised.
“If Peter Obi attacks Tinubu, I will attack him,” the minister declared.
Umahi insisted that no one wished Obi harm, stressing that he should remain healthy to participate in the 2027 presidential election.
“Nobody wants Obi dead. It’s not reasonable. We all want him alive to contest the election and watch himself lose again,” he said.
The minister argued that Obi’s concerns stem from what he described as the growing acceptance of President Tinubu’s administration in the South-East, following ongoing infrastructure projects in the region.
According to Umahi, the level of development under the current administration has weakened Obi’s perceived political dominance in the zone.
“What he is afraid of is that he believed the South-East was his political base because of the last election, which I call an accident of history. Today, we have visible development in the region, and our people have realised they are better off with President Tinubu completing the good work he has started than engaging in what I call Artificial Intelligence (AI) politics,” he said.
Umahi also reiterated his willingness to publicly debate Obi on the achievements of the Tinubu administration, particularly the government’s infrastructure investments across the South-East and other parts of the country.
“Some people ask why I’m attacking Obi. I’m not attacking him; I’m simply stating the facts. But he should stop attacking President Tinubu and instead acknowledge the massive infrastructure development taking place in the South-East and across Nigeria,” he said.
Expressing confidence in the President’s political future, Umahi said Tinubu would remain in office until 2031 and complete his development agenda across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
“Nobody has remembered the South-East in terms of infrastructure the way President Tinubu has. We must reciprocate that by giving him massive support in the South-East. I have no regrets saying this because I believe I am speaking the truth,” the minister added.
