Madubuike to Umahi: You lack powers to speak for Ndigbo
The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, said yesterday President Bola Tinubu has demonstrated unwavering love and fairness to the people of South East, especially in terms of projects.
He also said the Presidency was not realisable for the South East in 2027, advising that Igbo people support President Tinubu in 2027 elections.
Umahi, who spoke in response to a social media post by one Mr Linus Anagboso (D-Big Pen), captioned “The Politics of Asphalt: Why is the South East missing from the map?” equally said the President had been fair all the six geo-political zones of the country in project delivery.
In a statement he personally signed in Abuja yesterday, Umahi said: “I understand that politics is now in the air and the chosen path by some persons is to deceive unsuspecting members of the public, look good before the people as one fighting for them and close both eyes pretentiously over the great and selfless infrastructure development Mr. President is doing all over the nation.
He said: “I request the South East people to rise in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu because he has demonstrated unwavering love and fairness to the people of the South East.
“We must not be deceived again. Mr. President must have the votes of South East up to 90% to cement this relationship.
’Enough of darkening counsel without knowledge in the South East. We must rise to educate our people. If we want to be president, we must avoid the politics of hate, misinformation and sentiments.
“We must support other regions, and with God, one day, other regions will support us. Mr. President must be supported to complete his tenure of 8 years, which all regions are benefitting from.
“One day, we will be number one, but not in 2027. I will vocally continue to stand against any mischief to deceive our people. We are known for hard work and love and not hate.
“I commend our leaders who are the South East governors for their support and the great works they are doing for our people.
‘’I want our people to please support them along with our dear President for their second tenure in their respective offices.
“I have directed all the regional directors of the federal ministry of works back to sites in all the regions across the country to compile all inherited but ongoing projects and all new projects in all the regions, so Nigerians will appreciate the huge works Mr. President is doing in all the regions, irrespective of those who voted for him and those who did not.
“Mr. President is using fair distribution of infrastructure to reunite Nigerians and renew their hope, and only those who open their eyes will see the light of change in Nigeria.
“In addressing specifically this misleading information and for the records, Mr. President has four legacy projects, and they cover the six geo-political zones, with the South East well captured within the third legacy project of Cross River-Ebonyi-Benue-Kogi-Nasarawa-Abuja, totaling 465km x 2 with South East covering 231.64km x 2 and 231.64km x 1 for N445.8 billion already awarded and work is going on.
“Mr. President has already paid N108 billion. What happened in the Federal Executive Council, FEC, of July 31, 2025, was a review of that corridor from 118kmx 1 to 231.64km x1 for N445.8 billion.
“Mr. President has already paid N108 billion. What happened in the Federal Executive Council, FEC, of July 31, 2025, was a review of that corridor from 118kmx 1 to 231.64km x1 for N445.8 billion.
“This misleading writer chose to change the narrative of my press briefing after the Federal Executive Council, FEC, of Trans Sahara Section 1 (Ebonyi state to Benue border – 123.64km at N 445.8 billion but deliberately chose to call it Oyo-Benue border road to deceive and incite unsuspecting members of the public.
“I demanded that he corrects the information immediately, even if he fails to apologise. Where was the writer when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu decided to treat South East fairly in road infrastructure like other regions.
‘’Under his administration, 90% of abandoned projects, some awarded as far back as 2013, were all revived, and all are now ongoing.
“It is noteworthy to mention that there is huge ongoing works on the 2nd Niger Bridge access road 2A in Delta State which is valued at N146 billion and 2B in Anambra State, which is valued at N176billion, Enugu-Onitsha road -208km ( MTN tax credit, which is valued at N202 Billion and CBC completing the remaining section at N150billion of which N45billion was released last week), the Enugu – Port Harcourt road in four sections, the Enugu-Abakaliki, the Afikpo (Ebonyi) -Abia-Imo road, the Onitsha-Owerri-Aba road, the Aba-Ikot Ekpene road, the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene road etc.”
Madubuike to Umahi: You lack powers to speak for Ndigbo
Two-time Minister of Education and Health respectively, Professor Ihechukwu Madubuike, has slammed former Ebonyi State Governor, and Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, for urging South East to rather work for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 instead of a Nigeria President of Igbo extraction.
The elder statesman said Umahi could only speak for his party and not for Ndigbo, adding that Nigeria President of Igbo extraction is not only long overdue but also gaining popularity among other tribes.
He said:”David Umahi is speaking for himself, he’s not speaking for Ndigbo, he hasn’t got a mandate to speak for us. So he’s speaking for himself and for his party. Those that belong to his party have different ideas.
“Igbo presidency is something that must be done. Despite the shenanigans and opposition, we welcome it. Igbo presidency must happen. We are committed to it.
“The Igbo presidency project as far as I’m concerned, is beyond party propaganda. It’s a matter of rights, it’s a matter of conscience, it’s a matter of justice. It’s justice for Nigeria and it will happen.”
Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has said that no law mandates that a governor operate from anywhere other than the Government House.
This is as he declared that he is still in the Labour Party “for now”.
The governor, who stated this while responding to questions during a media parley in Umuahia, dared his predecessors who threatened to sue him for operating from his private residence at Nvosi instead of the Government House in Umuahia, to proceed to the court as quickly as they could.
Otti said his lawyers were fully prepared for any legal confrontation on the matter.
“I am waiting to be sued. My lawyers are ready. I have looked at the Constitution and there is nowhere it says I must live in a particular place,” the governor said.
Otti, who is currently rebuilding the Governor’s Lodge as well as a brand new office inside the Government House, said the facility was left in a deplorable condition by past administrations.
“The state in which they left the Government House speaks for itself. I don’t owe anybody an explanation,” he added.
Recall that some of his predecessors – Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu, Sen. Theodore Orji, and Dr Okezie Ikpeazu – and their loyalists, recently threatened to sue Otti and compel him to relocate to Government House Umuahia.
Meanwhile, the governor announced the extension of the state’s free electric bus service by one month.
He explained that the 20 electric buses, which commenced operations in late December 2025 and were originally scheduled to end free services in January, would now continue to operate free of charge until the end of February 2026.
On the leadership crisis rocking the Labour Party (LP), and speculations about his possible defection ahead of the next election, Otti said he remains a member of the party for now.
“I am still in the Labour Party today. Tomorrow is another matter,” he said.
The governor noted that the Senator Nenadi Usman-led National Working Committee of the LP had been affirmed by a recent court judgment as the authentic leadership of the party.
“So, the Court judgment confirmed actually that his tenure has expired and advised people to obey court decisions to save the courts from unnecessary troubles.
“We are not in election period. If election comes, we will still run under the Labour Party, but nobody knows tomorrow. But today, I am still in the Labour Party.”
He said the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment had already been transmitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), expressing optimism that the electoral umpire would comply accordingly.
Otti urged the former National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, to respect and obey the court ruling.
“We are on the right side of the law. The court affirmed that Abure’s tenure has expired. People must obey court judgments to avoid unnecessary stress on the judiciary,” he said.
“We are not in an election season yet. When elections come, we will still run under the Labour Party. But today, I am a bona fide member of the Labour Party.”
Earlier in his remarks, the governor highlighted key achievements of his administration, particularly in education, infrastructure, and revenue generation.
He said the introduction of free education had led to a significant increase in student enrollment across public schools in the state.
Otti also disclosed that the iconic Omenuko Bridge at the Abam section of the Bende–Ohafia federal road had been completed and was ready for inauguration.
He added that several road projects across the state were progressing steadily, while the contractor handling the Ohafia–Arochukwu Road had been directed to return to the site.
The governor further announced that the expansion of the Lokpanta Cattle Market into a multi-sector commercial hub would soon commence following the State Executive Council’s approval of the project design.
He also revealed plans to digitise the collection of levies from hotels and other hospitality businesses to boost internally generated revenue.
“In the next few months, hotels will be assessed using verified criteria, and with the click of a button, they will receive their rates,” Otti said.
Reaffirming his commitment to good governance, the governor assured Abians of increased infrastructural development, stressing that his overriding goal is to leave the state better than he found it.
The Federal Government has approved the construction of a ₦1 trillion Metropolitan Rail Service for Kano State, aimed at transforming urban transportation and easing traffic congestion across the metropolitan area.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf announced the approval while addressing the State’s contingent that participated in the 2025 National Qur’anic Recitation Competition in Borno State.
In a statement released on Thursday by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the Governor yusuf said the project would “provide a modern, efficient, and affordable mass transit system that will connect key districts within the metropolis, enhance mobility for residents, and stimulate trade and investment.”
Yusuf explained that the decision of his administration to realign with the Federal Government under the All Progressives Congress (APC) was “driven by the need to attract critical development projects to Kano State.”
Our correspondent reports that Governor Yusuf had a couple of days ago formally joined the APC after defecting from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
Describing the rail service as “a landmark intervention,” the governor said it would “significantly improve the quality of life of the people and reposition Kano as a major transportation hub in Northern Nigeria.” He assured that the state government would “work closely with relevant federal agencies to ensure smooth implementation of the project, transparency, and maximum benefits for the people of the state.”
Governor Yusuf also expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for approving the project and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment “to complement federal efforts through supportive policies and infrastructure development.”
Legal practitioners numbering over 500 acting under the aegis of Concerned Lawyers for Probity and Justice, stormed the Federal Ministry of Finance, Abuja, to join the protest by indigenous contractors demanding the payment of an estimated N4 trillion for completed capital projects.
The legal practitioners, who were also joined by other civil society groups such as The Enough is Enough Movement and the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria, AICAN, accused the ministry of favouritism in its dealings with contractors.
The protesters equally demanded the resignation of Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite over her alledged mismanagement of the crisis.
Several protesters were sighted along with several police patrol vehicles as well as armed policemen blocking the main entrance of the Ministry’s building at 12:48 p.m., yesterday.
Some of the contractors who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation claimed that despite partial disbursements in December 2025, the majority of verified debts remain unsettled, exacerbating their financial hardship.
In a statement signed by Precious Okoh, which was read during the peaceful protest, contractors highlighted cases where individuals who borrowed at high interest rates to fund projects now face asset seizures by banks.
Okoh said: “Contractors who borrowed from banks at high interest rates to fund these projects now face relentless loan defaults, with banks seizing homes, vehicles, and other assets.
“Wives and children watch their breadwinners sink into despair, some pushed to the brink of mental breakdown or worse.
“Entire households have been uprooted, dreams shattered, and futures stolen—all because payments promised and earned have not been made.
“Beyond individual suffering, the ripple effects cripple our national economy. These contractors employ thousands of workers—masons, engineers, labourers—who depend on steady contracts for survival.
“When payments stall, jobs vanish, purchasing power drops, local markets suffer, and economic growth grinds to a halt. A nation that starves its own builders starves itself of progress.”