2027: Umahi Urges CAN, Monarchs to Back Tinubu, Reject Political Neutrality
Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi addressing CAN members and traditional rulers in Ebonyi State on Sunday
From Nabob Ogbonna, Abakaliki
The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has urged the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and traditional rulers in Ebonyi State to take a clear position ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning them against remaining politically neutral.
Umahi called on religious leaders and traditional rulers to support the re-election of President Bola Tinubu, recalling the crucial role CAN and traditional institutions played in his emergence as governor of Ebonyi State in 2015.
The minister made the appeal on Sunday during a town hall meeting at the Ecumenical Centre, Abakaliki, attended by traditional rulers, former commissioners and members of CAN in the state.
He recalled that during his 2015 governorship campaign, when he was the candidate of the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), CAN took a stand in support of what it considered justice, while traditional rulers and other stakeholders also rallied behind him.
“I want to tell our religious leaders and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), do not stay on the fence. I know when I was struggling to be governor, CAN took a decision and said justice must prevail.
“CAN, don’t keep quiet. Let us toe the path that must sustain our freedom,” Umahi said.
The former Ebonyi governor also urged residents of the state and other parts of the South-East to support President Tinubu’s re-election bid, dismissing as unrealistic the proposal for a four-year presidential tenure for Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Umahi argued that the North would not accept a presidency limited to four years, insisting that such an arrangement would be politically untenable.
“There is no way an Igbo man, after staying for 60 years, will want to be president for four years. There is nobody that can accept that. The North has not accepted to be president for four years,” he said.
He further cautioned Obi against pursuing a regional campaign, arguing that the support of the Igbo alone would not be sufficient to secure the presidency in 2027.
“An Igbo man needs wisdom, not sentiments. An Igbo man should not allow people to be dishing hate speeches on social media on their behalf,” Umahi said.
Highlighting what he described as economic gains under the Tinubu administration, the minister said businesses in the South-East were benefiting from improved access to goods and the revival of roads supporting commercial activities.
“Today, our people in commerce clear our goods with ease. Today, our roads are being revived in the path of economic activities,” he said.
