Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has dismissed Peter Obi’s claim that his life is under threat, saying the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate will be alive to contest the 2027 presidential election but will lose at the polls.
Umahi made these remarks on Friday while inspecting the ongoing federal highway projects in Ebonyi State, describing Obi’s concerns as unfounded.
“No one wants Obi dead; it is not only reasonable. We all want him alive to participate in these elections and see him lose again,” said the minister.
Obi had previously alleged that he had received threats for his criticism of the federal government, expressing concern about the country’s political climate.
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Reacting to the statement, Umahi said Obi’s fears stemmed from his belief that the South East remains his political base after the 2023 presidential election.
“What he fears is that he has said that the Southeast is his zone of influence due to the last elections, what I call an accident of history,” he said.
The former governor of Ebonyi State argued that President Bola Tinubu’s infrastructure projects and appointments in the South East had reshaped the political landscape of the region.
“We have come up with visible development in the area, and our people have now agreed with us that it is better for President Tinubu to complete the good works he is doing for us than to play artificial intelligence (AI) type of politics,” Umahi added.
He also challenged Obi to a public debate on the performance of the Tinubu administration, insisting that the policies and projects of the Federal Government have brought tangible benefits to the South East.
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