Minister of Works David Umahi has sparked fresh political debate after declaring that former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi is not the best presidential candidate the South-East can produce ahead of the 2027 general election.
Umahi made the statement during an interview with ARISE News on Friday, October 23, 2026, arguing that Obi failed to consult influential political leaders in the region before pursuing his presidential ambition in 2023.
“Peter Obi is not the best of our finest in South-East. He’s not the best; he can never be the best,” Umahi said.
The former Ebonyi State governor maintained that any politician seeking to represent the South-East at the national level should engage governors and other key stakeholders to build political support and consensus.
According to him, presidential ambition should not be pursued in isolation, particularly when a candidate is seeking to represent the interests of an entire region.
“You cannot play politics in South-East without consulting people like us,” he said, adding that he would have consulted widely with regional leaders if he were seeking the presidency.
Umahi also questioned the assumption that Obi should automatically emerge as the region’s leading presidential candidate because of his performance in the 2023 election.
He argued that other politicians from the South-East are qualified to seek the presidency and should be considered in future discussions about the region’s political representation.
The minister further challenged the idea that Anambra State should automatically produce a presidential candidate whenever the opportunity arises for the South-East.
He pointed to Nigeria’s first president, Nnamdi Azikiwe, who hailed from the area now known as Anambra State, arguing that other states in the region — Ebonyi, Enugu, Abia and Imo — should also have a chance to produce a president.
Umahi’s comments come amid growing political manoeuvring ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with divisions emerging over whether South-East politicians should support Obi or President Bola Tinubu.
The minister has previously expressed confidence that Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) could make significant gains in the South-East in 2027, defending regional politicians who support the president against accusations of abandoning the region’s interests.
Obi, who was the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in 2023, secured widespread support across the South-East during that election and remains a prominent figure in discussions about the region’s political future.
However, Umahi’s latest remarks underline the disagreement among political leaders over who should lead the South-East’s presidential ambitions and whether regional consultation should play a decisive role in choosing a candidate.
His position does not necessarily reflect the views of all political leaders or residents of the South-East, as the question of who should represent the region remains a subject of political debate.
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