Minister of Works and former Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, has faced criticism following his comments that the 2027 presidency is not yet the turn of the Igbo.
Umahi made the remarks on Thursday in Benin City while speaking about the Federal Government’s road projects and defending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration against criticism.
The minister was also responding to comparisons between himself and Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC.
Umahi said the comparison prompted him to reflect on their respective backgrounds, intellectual credentials and records of service, particularly in the South-East.
Umahi says Tinubu’s turn
Turning to the issue of the presidency, Umahi said the South-East would eventually have an opportunity to produce Nigeria’s president.
However, he maintained that he did not believe that time had arrived.
“What we are saying is that it is not the turn of Igbos yet,” Umahi said.
He added that although he wanted to become president, the current political moment belonged to Tinubu.
“I want to be president, but it’s not yet our turn. It’s the turn of President Bola Tinubu,” he said.
Umahi also called on supporters of the Tinubu administration to defend what he described as the government’s achievements across different parts of the country.
Critics challenge the argument
The minister’s remarks have drawn criticism from commentators who argue that presidential succession should not be determined by ethnic rotation among Nigeria’s three major southern zones.
Some critics cited in the report argued that the South-East has not produced a president since the beginning of the current Fourth Republic in 1999.
Others, however, have questioned the broader political argument that the presidency should automatically rotate between regions or ethnic groups.
Debate over Obi and Umahi
Umahi’s comments came after he rejected suggestions that Peter Obi was superior to him.
He questioned whether such comparisons should be based on family background, intellectual capacity or records of public service.
The minister also defended his support for Tinubu, saying members of the administration would respond when the President and his government came under criticism.
The comments have since generated reactions from supporters and critics of both politicians as political parties and aspirants position themselves ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
