Minister of Works David Umahi has publicly dismissed Peter Obi as a political non-factor, stating that neither President Bola Tinubu nor the All Progressives Congress (APC) feels threatened by the Labour Party presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections. In a television interview on Tuesday, Umahi challenged Obi to a debate on infrastructure and reforms, describing the support around Obi as 'AI politics'.
Umahi: 'Nobody Is Scared of Peter Obi'
Umahi declared that even he personally is not afraid of Obi, let alone President Tinubu or the APC. 'What displays around Peter Obi is AI politics. You know, it's AI politics. It is putting something on nothing. So, nobody is scared of Peter Obi,' Umahi said during the interview, as reported by PM News.
Obi's Gubernatorial Record Under Fire
The minister questioned Obi's fitness to demand accountability from Tinubu, citing what he described as an underwhelming performance as Anambra State governor. Umahi specifically highlighted failures in road construction, industrial development, empowerment of residents, and the absence of an airport or seaport. 'I read where it was said that Peter Obi said Tinubu should resign because of this, and 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 failure to establish a seaport? Failure to pay contractors,' Umahi said, according to The Sun.
Obidient Movement Accused of Hostility
Umahi also criticized the Obidient movement, accusing its supporters of hostility towards dissenting voices, including insults, threats, and litigation. 'Look at the pattern of politics around Peter Obi. You disagree with him, then he takes you to court. How many times have you been abusing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu? How many people has he taken to court?' Umahi asked. He added, 'Look at the Obidient movement. You disagree, they insult people, they wish people dead, they issue threats and all kinds of things. Is that the kind of behavior we want?'
Defense of Tinubu's Economic Record
Addressing concerns about economic hardship, Umahi argued that Tinubu inherited deep-rooted problems that cannot be resolved quickly. 'The darkest part of the night is the dawn. There were so many practices by the previous administration that occasioned us into what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inherited,' he said. He likened the recovery to healing a wound, insisting that structural damage accumulated over six decades cannot be undone within three years. Umahi maintained that Tinubu's reforms are yielding results and deserve a second term, adding that no opposition figure currently has a credible alternative.
Atiku's Ally Dumps ADC for APC
In related political developments, Aslam Aliyu, a prominent ally of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and a leading opposition figure in Zamfara State, left the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to join the APC. Aliyu announced the move on Sunday, July 5, in Abuja, stating that nearly two decades of working within Atiku's camp led her to conclude that the opposition cannot offer Nigerians a credible path forward.
