By Myke Agunwa,
As politicians strategize and align ahead of 2027 general election, Minister of Works, Dave Umahi has urged the presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in 2023, Peter Obi, and all undecided political gladiators in the southeast geopolitical zone, to join the President Bola Tinubu re-election train, just as he claims that all the governors in the zone have already queued behind the first citizen.
He described the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway currently under construction as a transformative investment designed to unlock Nigeria’s economic potential and deepen regional integration.
The President’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga in a statement on Tuesday, reported that Umahi made the declaration during an interview for an upcoming State House documentary marking President Tinubu’s second anniversary.
The minister said that all South East governors are supporting the President Bola Tinubu administration, regardless of their political affiliations and called on the former governor of Anambra State to join the train.
Umahi said that the South East is witnessing a new wave of federal attention and infrastructure development under President Tinubu noting that several federal government projects are going on in the same.
“The Igbo man is enterprising and blessed with God-given wisdom. What Ndi Igbo seeks is fairness, Nigeria that treats every zone equally. That is what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is doing.
“Before, when I was governor and deputy governor, one of our major concerns in Ebonyi was the lack of federal presence.
“But today, nobody remembers that issue anymore. Under President Tinubu, at least four federal projects are ongoing in Ebonyi,” he said.
He noted that the current administration had made significant progress in addressing long-standing concerns about infrastructure and appointments across the southeast which has been marginalized by previous administration.
“Today, the South East has a Minister of Works for the first time, and we’re seeing real projects – Port Harcourt to Enugu, Enugu to Abakaliki, Enugu to Onitsha, Onitsha to Owerri, and the Second Niger Bridge.
“The President has already paid 30 per cent of the cost of that bridge.
“All the governors in the South East, regardless of party affiliation, are working with the President. We’re even planning a summit to bring together all South-East leaders to endorse the President for the 2027 elections formally.
“We want our projects to be completed, the country’s unity to be strengthened and proper integration of Ndi Igbo,” said Umahi.
He urged key regional opposition figures to align with the President for the greater good of the South East.
“Leadership is not about self – it’s about the people. If someone else is already doing what you would have done for your people, support him. I call on my brother, His Excellency Peter Obi, to join us and work with Mr President.
“He must be part of this summit where we will collectively endorse President Tinubu for the 2027 election. I say it boldly: the South East is happy with the President,” he said.
Umahi gave an update on four major national projects: the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, the Trans-Saharan Trade Route, and the soon-to-be-procured Ogun-Ondo-Niger Corridor.
He described them as transformative investments designed to unlock Nigeria’s economic potential and deepen regional integration.
On the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the minister said over 80 per cent of Section 1 – spanning 47.47 kilometres from Ahmadu Bello Way to the Lekki Deep Sea Port and terminating at Eleko Junction – has been completed. He added that work was also progressing on Section 2, which covered 55 kilometres from Eleko Junction to the Lagos-Ogun border.
“By December, we will toll Section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. We project a 10-year return on investment. The road has solar-powered lighting and CCTV infrastructure and offers carbon credit advantages.
“It is more than a road – it is an economic corridor and a catalyst for regional growth. We have completed 30 kilometres of Section 1 and are on track to complete an additional 10 in Section 2. These are six-lane, concrete-paved highways.
“Just days ago, we flagged off Sections 3 and 3B – 65 kilometres in total – covering 38 kilometres in Cross River State and 27 kilometres in Akwa Ibom. The host communities’ excitement speaks to these projects’ transformative impact,” said the minister.
On the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, the Minister explained its historic significance, noting that the route was conceived during the Shehu Shagari administration over four decades ago.
“The Trans-Saharan Trade Route dates back to colonial-era planning. President Tinubu is now bringing these long-abandoned visions to life,” he said.
Umahi said God gave Tinubu the vision for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway seven years ago.
“Today, he is actualising that vision. These projects testify to his unwavering commitment to national development and a better future for all Nigerians.”