2027: ‘I Have Faith in God That Tinubu Will Return’ — Umahi

Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu will return for a second term in 2027, saying he has faith that God will determine the President’s re-election.

Umahi made the statement during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he defended the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms and infrastructure programme.

Asked what gave him the confidence that Nigerians would re-elect Tinubu in 2027, the minister said, “I have faith in God that God will return him.”

Umahi added, “Power belongs to God, and God brought him,” arguing that Tinubu assumed office at a particularly difficult period and had faced several challenges since taking over the presidency.

The minister rejected the suggestion that his assessment was based simply on the fact that Tinubu is his principal, insisting that he believed the President was “doing very well.”

He acknowledged that the administration’s economic reforms had caused hardship, particularly for vulnerable Nigerians, but maintained that the measures were necessary to address problems inherited by the government.

Umahi said Nigerians should assess the administration by comparing key economic indicators from when Tinubu assumed office with the current situation.

According to him, the President had taken difficult decisions in what he described as an effort to address the country’s economic challenges and lay the foundation for long-term growth.

The minister’s comments came as he also outlined the Federal Government’s plans to complete several major road projects within the next three years.

Umahi listed the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Road, Trans-Sahara/Trans-Harada corridor and Akwanga-Jos Road among the major projects being pursued by the administration.

He said the projects were part of efforts to develop an interconnected road network capable of supporting economic activity across the country.

The minister also disclosed that Tinubu inherited 2,068 projects valued at about N13 trillion when he assumed office in 2023.

According to Umahi, about 80 per cent of the projects currently being executed by the Federal Ministry of Works were inherited from the previous administration.

He said Tinubu had directed the ministry not to abandon the inherited projects because many were located along major economic corridors.

On the controversial Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Umahi defended the project against allegations concerning its cost, procurement and financing.

He said he was prepared to take responsibility for the procurement process and disclosed that the first section, covering 47.47 kilometres, had been completed, while work on the second section was nearing completion.

Umahi explained that the government was using an Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Financing arrangement for some of the legacy projects, with the Federal Government contributing 30 per cent while 70 per cent was sourced through external financing.

He said Deutsche Bank provided financing for Section One of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and that the facility was oversubscribed by $100 million.

The minister maintained that the administration’s infrastructure projects and economic reforms were aimed at creating a stronger foundation for future economic development.

He argued that the government should not be judged solely by the immediate hardship associated with its policies, but also by the economic and infrastructure changes it is pursuing.

Umahi’s comments add to his recent public expressions of confidence in Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election. He had also said the President could attract significant support in the South-East, while defending the administration’s record in the region.