2027: UMAHI DISMISSES PETER OBI’S PRESIDENTIAL CREDENTIALS, SAYS SOUTH-EAST HAS OTHER CONTENDERS

By NaijaParrot | October 23, 2026 

 ABUJA, NIGERIA — Minister of Works David Umahi has dismissed the suggestion that Peter Obi represents the strongest presidential candidate from Nigeria’s South-East, insisting that the region has other political figures capable of seeking the country’s highest office. Umahi made the remarks during an interview with ARISE News on Friday, October 23, while defending South-East political leaders who have chosen to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election. The former Ebonyi State governor argued that Obi should not automatically be regarded as the region’s leading presidential contender because of his performance in the 2023 election. “Peter Obi is not the best of our finest in South East. He’s not the best, he can never be the best,” Umahi said.

The minister argued that any politician seeking to represent the South-East at the national level should consult governors and other influential stakeholders from the region. According to Umahi, presidential ambitions that are presented as representing an entire geopolitical zone should involve discussions with political leaders and other relevant interests. He maintained that he would have consulted regional stakeholders had he personally pursued the presidency. “You cannot play politics in South East without consulting people like us,” he said. Umahi’s comments suggest that his disagreement with Obi extends beyond the question of political popularity to include how presidential candidates engage with influential leaders from their home region. However, the minister did not identify a particular alternative candidate whom he considered the South-East’s strongest presidential contender. 

 Umahi also challenged the idea that Obi’s performance in the 2023 presidential election automatically establishes him as the region’s preferred candidate for future elections. He pointed out that the South-East comprises five states — Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo — and argued that political leaders from all five states should have opportunities to pursue the presidency. The minister questioned the assumption that Anambra State should receive preferential consideration in any future arrangement to produce a Nigerian president from the region. He maintained that the region’s political future should be determined through consultation, negotiation and broader political cooperation. 

 The minister also defended South-East politicians who have aligned themselves with Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election. He rejected suggestions that supporting the President amounted to betraying the region, arguing that political alliances across geopolitical zones could help strengthen the South-East’s chances of securing greater influence at the federal level. Umahi has repeatedly defended the Tinubu administration’s appointments and infrastructure projects in the region, maintaining that cooperation with the Federal Government remains important to its political and developmental interests. His latest comments are consistent with his previous public position that the South-East will eventually produce a Nigerian president but that the 2027 election should not automatically be treated as the region’s turn. 

 Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, attracted substantial support during the 2023 presidential election, when he contested under the Labour Party and won all five South-East states. He is now associated with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the 2027 election. His political standing and the question of whether the South-East should rally behind his presidential ambition have continued to generate debate among politicians from the region. Umahi’s latest intervention adds to the disagreement over regional representation, political consultation and the alliances that South-East leaders should pursue ahead of the next general election. While the minister has argued that the region has other qualified aspirants, he has not presented a comparative assessment establishing which individual should be considered its leading candidate. The debate is expected to remain part of the wider political discussions surrounding the 2027 presidential contest. 

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