Dave Umahi, Minister of Works, has called on political leaders in the Southeast to adopt a strategic approach to position the region to produce Nigeria's next president after Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Speaking on Thursday during the opening of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway to vehicles, Umahi linked infrastructure progress to political influence. The road reopening was timed to ease traffic ahead of Easter festivities. He urged Southeast leaders to unify behind President Tinubu, projecting that the region would deliver 80 per cent of its votes to him in the 2027 elections. "I want to call on the leaders of the Southeast to be bold in persuading our people to vote for Mr. President," Umahi said. He described good governance as rooted in development, fairness, equity, and justice. Umahi emphasized that strong electoral backing would strengthen the region's bargaining power. "We can't afford to give him anything less than 80 percent; do that and leave the rest to us. We'll boldly go to the negotiation table," he said. The minister, a former governor of Ebonyi State, recalled his 2023 campaign efforts, saying, "Let no one divide our votes, let no one confuse us. I was shouting that in 2023 when I was the governor, prepare the way for the lord."
Dave Umahi is treating political influence as a transaction: votes in exchange for future presidential consideration. By demanding 80 per cent of Southeast votes for Tinubu, he's framing regional ambition as a bargaining chip rather than a democratic right. This approach reduces the people's vote to a currency for elite negotiation. For Nigerians in the Southeast, it means their political relevance may depend less on policy and more on electoral loyalty to the ruling party.
