The Minister of Works, David Umahi, on Tuesday rejected claims that Peter Obi represents a political challenge to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, asserting that the former Anambra State governor “can’t even face” him, much less the president, as political activities ahead of the 2027 elections continue to intensify.
Umahi made the remarks amid continued criticism of the Tinubu administration over the economy and governance, with Obi remaining one of the administration’s strongest critics in the lead-up to the 2027 presidential election.
According to the minister, neither President Tinubu nor the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) sees Obi as a political threat.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Daybreak Show, Umahi dismissed what he called an inflated perception of Obi’s political influence, insisting it was based on publicity rather than political reality.
“Even 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. He is not a threat to our president because Peter Obi himself knows very well that he cannot even face me, let alone face the president,” the minister said.
Umahi also criticised Obi’s eight years as governor of Anambra State, saying the former governor was not in a position to ask President Tinubu to resign.
“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,” he said.
The minister further accused supporters of the Obidient movement of intolerance toward opposing opinions, alleging that those who criticise Obi are often subjected to insults, threats and legal action.
According to the minister, “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? … 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 behaviour we want?”
Umahi also challenged members of the Obidient movement to engage him in a debate on infrastructure and the Tinubu administration’s reform agenda, maintaining that the government’s achievements could withstand scrutiny.
On the economy, the minister argued that President Tinubu inherited long-standing structural problems that could not reasonably be resolved within three years, despite public expectations.
“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.
“For those who are crying of hunger, put all the indices on the table. Is it road infrastructure? Is it education? Is it health? Which one has gone worse than how the president inherited it? When you are healing a wound, you don’t expect the wound to heal overnight. An economy doesn’t turn around instantly within three years,” Umahi said.
He added that President Tinubu deserved a second term, arguing that the administration’s reforms were beginning to yield positive outcomes and that no opposition presidential aspirant could equal what he described as the president’s achievements.
“Let people be fair, rather than just speaking because they want power. None of the political aspirants or candidates from other parties can do what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is doing. There are a lot of successes and reforms that are beginning to yield a lot of dividends. None of them can do what this man is doing,” Umahi said.