Tinubu Owns South-East in 2027, Not OBIdients — Umahi

Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has announced that the South-East, most notably Ebonyi State, will rally behind Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential race.

Despite Obi’s rising popularity across Nigeria, particularly among the youth, Umahi asserted during the Ohanivo 2025 New Yam Festival in Onicha Local Government Area that the South-East has shifted its political stance.

He attributed this change to longstanding feelings of marginalisation, which he said have prompted a reevaluation of the region’s political loyalties.

“We are not OBIdient people. We have been so marginalised that we are no longer OBIdient. No, we are not.

“But it is the man that has given us a sense of belonging, President Bola Tinubu. Let it not be that we are from Ebonyi State and they are saying this state belongs to us. There is no OBIdient person in Ebonyi,” Umahi said.

The former governor of Ebonyi State highlighted Tinubu’s gestures of goodwill toward the South-East, expressing confidence that the region will reciprocate with electoral support in 2027.

He noted that the people of the South-East have become more politically astute and will no longer fall prey to misleading tactics, alluding to their experience during the 2023 presidential election.

“What we have to do is to record the good things that …….. Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done for South-East and Ebonyi State when the time comes. We will not be deceived again because the last election was a mistake, but we have come to be wiser. I will not finish naming all that the President is doing for us,” Umahi added.

The minister’s comments highlight the shifting political landscape in the South-East, signaling a wave of realignments as Nigeria approaches its next election cycle.

This evolving dynamic is poised to reignite discussions around loyalty, regional development, and the South-East’s role in national governance.