Minister of Works David Umahi has declared that former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi “can never be the best” presidential candidate from the South-East, defending political leaders from the region who support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election. ​
Speaking live on Friday morning, October 23, 2026, during a broadcast interview on ARISE News’ The Morning Show, the Minister of Works and former Ebonyi State Governor, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, strongly challenged the belief that Obi remains the South-East’s sole political standard-bearer.
​During the broadcast, anchored from ARISE News Studios by presenter Ojy Okpe, Umahi argued that broad political alliances with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and consultation with regional governors are key to securing the South-East’s presidential ambitions, rather than rallying behind a single candidacy. ​
Umahi criticised Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, for his political strategy, alleging that Obi bypassed key regional stakeholders during his previous campaign run. ​”Peter Obi is not the best of our finest in the South-East. He’s not the best; he can never be the best,” Umahi stated during the televised appearance. “You cannot play politics in the South-East without consulting people like us.
If I were contesting, I would have consulted.” ​The minister pushed back against critics accusing South-Eastern APC figures of betraying regional interests by supporting President Tinubu’s second-term bid. He argued that the political route to the presidency requires constructing bridges with other geopolitical zones across Nigeria, insisting that all five South-East states, not just Anambra, must participate in discussions surrounding zoning and regional leadership.
​Umahi’s comments reflect intensifying political maneuvers across Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general election. While Peter Obi and his supporters maintain that his strong performance in the 2023 presidential election makes him the prime candidate for the South-East, ruling APC stakeholders argue that integrating the region into the central government framework under President Tinubu provides a more strategic path for the geopolitical zone. ​
As of press time, spokespersons for Peter Obi’s political camp and leadership from the Labour Party have not issued an official response to the Works Minister’s statements.
