Umahi: Obi’s Threat Claim Is Baseless, Born Out of Frustration

Minister of Works David Umahi

The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has dismissed claims by the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, that his life is under threat.
Umahi described Obi’s allegation as a reflection of political frustration rather than a genuine security concern.
The Minister made the remarks while inspecting some of President Bola Tinubu’s legacy infrastructure projects in Ebonyi State over the weekend.
According to Umahi, no one wishes Peter Obi harm. Instead, he said many Nigerians would rather see him remain alive and healthy to participate in future elections, including one he believes Obi would ultimately lose.
He argued that the former Governor of Anambra State’s comments were borne out of frustration over the political realities in the South-East.
Umahi further stated that the Tinubu administration’s visible infrastructural development and increased inclusion of the South-East in national affairs have become a significant challenge to Obi’s perceived political dominance in the region.
He said:”Nobody wants Obi’s life; that is simply not reasonable. We all want him alive to contest the next election and watch himself lose again. What he is afraid of is that he considers the South-East his political stronghold because of the outcome of the last election, which I describe as an accident of history. However, we have brought visible development to the region, and our people have come to realise that they are better off supporting President Tinubu to complete the good work he is doing for us than engaging in what I call artificial intelligence (AI)-style politics.”
The Minister also reiterated his readiness to engage Peter Obi in a public debate on what he described as the achievements of the current administration.
He maintained that the South-East has benefited from the Tinubu administration’s commitment to inclusion in national politics and said the region should appreciate the government’s efforts.