“South-East Should Be Clapping for Tinubu; Quest for Power Must Wait” — Umahi

Minister of Works, David Umahi, has called on the South-East region to exercise patience in its pursuit of the presidency, saying President Bola Tinubu should be allowed to complete his two-term tenure in the interest of fairness and political stability.

Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday, Umahi said Tinubu’s emergence fulfilled the 2021 resolution of the 17 southern governors in Asaba, where they agreed that power should move to the South after President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

“The crown eventually came upon President Bola Tinubu, and he must be allowed to complete his eight years,” Umahi stated. “It is not yet the time of the South-East.”

According to the minister, Tinubu’s presidency represents the collective mandate of the southern region, and any agitation for power shift before 2031 would be premature. “The eight years he took are for all of us, both the South and the North,” he said. “When he finishes, the South-East can contest, having never held the position before.”

Umahi emphasized that fairness and equity in Nigeria’s political structure would only be achieved when every region has had a turn at the presidency. He noted that the South-East has many capable individuals who could vie for the position when the time is right, adding that some are even “more competent” than current contenders.

Acknowledging that the region had suffered marginalisation in the past, Umahi said this sentiment contributed to the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) poor showing in the 2023 elections. However, he maintained that President Tinubu had begun to change the narrative by treating all regions equally.

“The South-East might complain about not having many appointments, but the position of minister of works is equivalent to five grade A ministries,” he said. “We should ask ourselves if past appointments translated into infrastructure growth.”

Umahi highlighted ongoing projects under the Tinubu administration as evidence of progress and urged the South-East to recognise these developments. “Yes, acknowledge the past, but also focus on the realities of today,” he said.

“We should be clapping with our hands and legs for President Bola Tinubu. My appointment as minister of works is not just a position; it is what we have used it to achieve for the entire country.”