Minister of Works David Umahi has dismissed reports of a political “rainbow coalition” in Ebonyi State, saying the state remains aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
Umahi spoke on Friday, September 25, during an inspection of the Calabar-Abuja Superhighway in Benue State.
His position comes amid an ongoing disagreement between Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike and some APC governors over the cross-party political platform associated with Wike. The dispute has centred on whether politicians can support President Bola Tinubu while retaining separate political arrangements at state and legislative levels.
A statement issued on Saturday by Umahi’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, said the minister inspected Section Two of the highway at Ado and directed contractors to speed up construction.
Asked about his relationship with Wike and reports of a similar political arrangement emerging in Ebonyi, Umahi said there was no such coalition in the state.
“If Wike has candidates here, he has not told me. And his candidate cannot break our relationship, but his candidate is not part of our relationship. There is no rainbow coalition in Ebonyi State.”
Umahi also revisited his decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party, saying he believed the party had failed to adequately recognise the interests of the South-East.
“We supported PDP. We voted for presidents in PDP. And when it was our time for them to honour us, they did not honour us. They maltreated us,” Umahi said.
He said individuals were free to campaign in Ebonyi but warned against inflammatory rhetoric or attempts to destabilise the state.
“Anybody that wants to campaign, come and campaign. But don’t dish out hate speeches and you want to take those speeches, and you want that we should lay a red carpet for you. We will not do that,” he said.
“Nobody can foment crisis in Ebonyi State,” the minister added.
The comments came as the Rainbow Coalition continues to generate disagreement within the ruling APC camp. APC governors have publicly opposed political arrangements they believe could affect the party’s candidates, while Wike has maintained that his coalition is separate from the APC and is focused on supporting Tinubu at the presidential election.
Umahi also rejected claims that his position as Works Minister had resulted in an undue concentration of Federal Government projects in the South-East.
“I saw on social media where they say I cornered all projects to Southeast. That is very wonderful. But we have the publication of all projects ongoing by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, so they darken counsel without knowledge,” he said.
“I’m not on my own. The President is my boss. So where will he be when I corner all projects to Southeast?” Umahi asked.
According to him, the South-East is benefiting from the Federal Government’s broader infrastructure programme, although he acknowledged that the region might not rank first, second or third in terms of project distribution.
He said the region would “definitely they will not be the last.”
The minister urged Nigerians to assess the administration based on projects being executed rather than promises made during political campaigns.
“We tell our story. It’s not a question of saying, ‘I will do this, I’ll do this.’ What about the one that the person is doing? Let us compare the past with the present,” he said.
He cited the Calabar-Abuja Superhighway as one of the major projects under the administration, putting the value of Section Two at about ₦683 billion and Section One at approximately ₦454 billion.
During the inspection, Umahi directed contractors working on the Calabar-Abuja Superhighway not to demolish buildings along the existing alignment while the Federal Government reviews the route.
“My directive is that no building should be touched. Even if it’s within the alignment, I have to come and realign it. So you just have to continue your work and go around those buildings until we come to look at it,” he said.
He also instructed contractors to accelerate construction and open additional sections while engineers work on challenges associated with the Ado Bridge.
“I do not believe in engineering that anything is impossible,” Umahi said.
The former Ebonyi governor also explained his continued political support for Tinubu, linking his position to the President’s policies and infrastructure agenda.
“What gave rise to this is because I believe in President Bola Tinubu. I believe that he’s the one called by God. I believe in his vision. I believe in his reforms. I believe he’s the best person that I have worked with and for, and I’m very proud of working for him and working with him,” he said.
Umahi said continuity was important for major infrastructure projects that require several years to complete.
“If, God forbid, another person says he’s President, all these projects will be stalled. And I don’t think Ebonyi wants their projects to be stalled,” he said.
Umahi also addressed the nomination of his son as chairman of Ohaozara Local Government Area, stressing that the decision was made by Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru and not by him.
He said he had advised his son to ensure that development was distributed fairly across the council’s 11 wards.
“I have advised him, don’t do anything for the people of Uburu because you are from Uburu. It has to be equitably distributed among the eleven council wards in Ohaozara Local Government,” he said.
(Ripples)