Umahi Calls On South East, Abia Gov To Support Tinubu

The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has called on Abia State Governor Alex Otti and other Southeast leaders to support President Bola Tinubu, regardless of political affiliation.

Umahi made the appeal on Thursday during a visit to Governor Otti in his Umuahia office, following an inspection of ongoing federal road projects in the state. Some of these projects are expected to be inaugurated by President Tinubu later this year.

Praising the long-standing relationship between Tinubu and Otti, Umahi noted the president’s commitment to the development of the Southeast.

“We have every reason as Ndigbo and people of the South East, irrespective of party affiliation, to stand with this man who is standing with us to rewrite our history and relaunch us into the mainstream of the federal government,” Umahi said.

He described Otti as a long-time friend of the president and expressed confidence that all governors from the region are aligned with Tinubu’s administration.

Commending Otti’s efforts in road reconstruction, Umahi highlighted the quality and scale of projects completed by the Abia State Government.

“I came unannounced to inspect some of our federal projects and those handled by your administration. I must say I’m very impressed by what I’ve seen. The transformation of Port Harcourt Road is remarkable—it’s unbelievable that such a location could be recovered the way you’ve done it,” he said.

He added that only a president focused on infrastructure like Tinubu should be allowed to commission such transformative projects.

Umahi also thanked Governor Otti for his cooperation on federal projects in the state, including sections of the Port Harcourt–Enugu Motorway. He noted that contractors had struggled to make progress before Otti assumed office.

Appealing to other governors, Umahi urged greater collaboration with the federal government, regardless of party lines. He specifically asked Otti to consider assisting with the Aba–Port Harcourt Expressway, suggesting that the same contractors could be engaged for the work.

In his response, Governor Otti reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to partnering with the federal government to deliver infrastructure that benefits the people of Abia State.

“We will continue to work with the federal government in the interest of our people,” Otti said.

“As far as the people are concerned, government is one—whether at the federal or state level. The important thing is that they feel the impact.”

He also promised to dispatch the Commissioner for Works to assess the Enugu–Port Harcourt carriageway and explore potential intervention options.