The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has ruled out suggestions that the ruling All Progressives Congress is worried about the political influence of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
He insisted that the former Anambra State governor does not pose a challenge to President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News on Tuesday, Umahi said neither the President nor the APC had any reason to fear Obi, whom he described as a politician whose popularity was driven by what he termed “AI politics.”
“Even me, I cannot be scared of Peter Obi, not to talk about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu or our party, the APC. What displays around Peter Obi is AI politics. It is putting something on nothing. Nobody is scared of Peter Obi. Peter Obi is not a threat to our President,” Umahi said.
The minister also challenged Obi’s record as governor of Anambra State, questioning his performance in infrastructure development and other sectors during his eight-year tenure.
He accused the former governor of failing to construct critical infrastructure such as roads, an airport and a seaport, while also alleging that contractors were left unpaid under his administration.
Referring to Obi’s reported call for President Tinubu to resign over insecurity and the economy, Umahi argued that the former presidential candidate had no moral basis to make such demands.
“I asked myself, how many times did Peter Obi resign as Governor of Anambra State for failure to fix the roads, failure to establish industry, failure to empower people, failure to establish an airport or a seaport, and failure to pay contractors?” he said.
The minister further criticised members of the Obidient Movement, accusing them of intolerance toward opposing views and alleging that critics of Obi were often subjected to insults, threats and litigation.
According to Umahi, President Tinubu had remained tolerant of criticism despite facing repeated attacks from political opponents.
He also challenged Obi’s supporters to a public debate on the achievements of the Tinubu administration, particularly in infrastructure development and economic reforms.
Defending the administration’s performance, Umahi maintained that the President inherited decades of economic challenges that could not be resolved within three years.
He said Nigerians should assess the government’s performance by considering developments in infrastructure, education and healthcare rather than expecting immediate economic recovery.
“An economy doesn’t turn around instantly within three years. Nigerians expected that all the wrongs of over 60 years would be addressed in three years,” he said.
Umahi expressed confidence that the administration’s reforms were beginning to produce positive results, insisting that no opposition candidate possessed the capacity to match Tinubu’s record in office.
He urged Nigerians to support the President’s re-election bid, arguing that ongoing reforms would deliver greater benefits if allowed to continue.
