The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has denied claims that he is attacking supporters of former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, popularly known as Obidients, insisting that his comments were solely a call on the people of the South-East to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Umahi made the clarification in a video interview shared on Facebook on Friday, where he responded to backlash over his recent political remarks and also addressed calls for him to debate former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole over an uncompleted federal road project.
The minister said he took the criticism from Obidients in his stride, describing it as evidence that his message was resonating.
“I saw what they said to me; they have been insulting me, but you know, I enjoyed this honestly, because it shows that what I’m doing is touching them,” Umahi said.
He acknowledged that not all reactions had been hostile, noting that some critics raised more measured objections.
“There are some of them that are also reasonable. They say, you only say this, that you’re attacking people,” he said.
Umahi firmly rejected the characterisation, stressing that his message was a straightforward appeal rather than an attack on any individual or group.
“I say no, I’m not attacking people. I’m asking people in South-East and Nigeria not to vote for him, to vote for President Bola Tinubu. And I have my facts,” he stated, adding that as a public office holder he remained open to debate.
On the calls for a public debate with Oshiomhole, Umahi said he would prefer private engagement given their long-standing relationship.
“They said I should go and debate with Oshiomole. I cannot debate with Oshiomole; I can reason with him. He’s my senior in governance. He’s also my senior in legislature. And he’s my very good friend. We sat together when I was deputy governor, he was governor, we sat together,” Umahi explained.
The dispute centres on a stretch of federal road running from Lokoja through Benin to Warri, which Umahi said was awarded in 2018 during Oshiomhole’s tenure but left largely uncompleted
.
“But the road he’s talking about was awarded… that stretch from Lokoja… down to Benin, down to Warri, was awarded in 2018 when he was still in office. You know, I expected him to have constructed part of that federal road,” the minister said.
Umahi noted that he was not raising the matter as a complaint but drawing a contrast with his own record of intervening on federal roads while serving as governor of Ebonyi State.