ABAKALIKI — Minister of Works, David Umahi, has announced that Ebonyi State will formally endorse President Bola Tinubu as its sole presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

Endorsement for 2027

The declaration was made on Saturday in Abakaliki during an inspection tour of federal and state projects in the South-East. According to Umahi, the planned endorsement is scheduled for Monday and will be spearheaded by the Ebonyi State Governor. He cited the administration's commitment to infrastructure development in the South-East as the primary motivation for the move.

“When we talk about the gains of the people of the South-East under President Bola Tinubu, some people who do not understand what we are talking about continue to demarket us,” Umahi said. “But the South-East people are very appreciative of President Bola Tinubu, and by Monday, under the leadership of the Governor of Ebonyi State, we are going to demonstrate it when we adopt the President as our sole candidate.”

Political Alignment and the ‘Obedient’ Movement

Addressing political trends in the region, the Minister explicitly distanced Ebonyi State from the political movement associated with former presidential candidate Peter Obi. Umahi dismissed the state's previous alignment with the movement as an "accident of history," asserting that it would not repeat itself in the future.

Defense of Infrastructure Record

Umahi also refuted claims that the federal government has neglected the South-East regarding infrastructure projects. He highlighted several ongoing federal interventions, including strategic economic road corridors linked to the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

The Minister contrasted the current administration's performance with previous federal governments, stating, “In the past, Ebonyi never had any federal project. I was party chairman for five years, deputy governor for four years and governor for eight years; I never saw any federal government project in Ebonyi State.” He maintained that the significant investment in infrastructure across Ebonyi and its neighboring states justifies the state's decision to back President Tinubu’s administration.