The Minister of Works, David Umahi, stated that he does not need to be a presidential candidate to take part in a debate with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential hopeful, Peter Obi.
He argued that there is nothing special about being a presidential candidate and insisted that it is not an achievement.
Umahi was responding to Obi’s view that only presidential candidates should engage in presidential debates.
The minister noted that his support for President Bola Tinubu’s re‑election effectively puts him on the 2027 ticket, saying, “When President Bola Tinubu is on the ballot, I’m on the ballot. Because I don’t want this project to stop. I want it to be completed. So I want all of us together to win with President Bola Tinubu.”
He dismissed the notion that holding a presidential ticket is a measure of accomplishment, declaring, “I don’t know what is the big deal about being a presidential candidate… So to be a presidential candidate is not an achievement.”
Umahi also defended his stewardship at the Works Ministry, insisting he does not need to contest the presidency to explain the Tinubu administration’s infrastructure projects.
He accused Obi of misrepresenting ongoing road projects by visiting construction sites and portraying them as abandoned, adding, “You cannot come to Summit Junction to the old head bridge, and you stood on a point that has been cleared… So you went there and stood. So it’s comedy, you know, it’s comedy, content creation and AI politics.”
The minister maintained that he remains ready for a public debate, stating, “I’m still ready… unless you are His Excellency Peter Obi, I will not debate with any other person other than him as far as that is concerned.”
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