Arise News presenter Rufai Oseni has challenged the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to demonstrate his political strength through electoral performance rather than self-proclaimed titles, following Umahi’s declaration that he is the “Lion of the Southeast”.
Oseni’s remarks came after Umahi questioned the political standing of former Anambra State Governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, asking who Obi was better than during a political town hall in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
Umahi had described Obi as a “nobody” and compared himself with prominent South-East political figures, including former Ebonyi Governor Sam Egwu, former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim and former Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Elias Mbam.
Reacting to the minister’s comments on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Tuesday, November 3, Oseni dismissed the significance of the “Lion of the Southeast” title, insisting that Umahi should first demonstrate his ability to compete in a presidential election.
“Minister Dave Umahi can call himself the ‘Lion of the Southeast,’ but that’s just empty poetry. He must first purchase a presidential election form, secure at least six million votes like Peter Obi did, and only then can he return to compare himself to the NDC presidential candidate,” Oseni said.
The six-million-vote benchmark refers to Obi’s performance in the February 2023 presidential election, when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared that he secured 6,101,533 votes under the Labour Party platform.
Umahi made his comments at an APC Presidential Campaign Council town hall in Abakaliki, where he urged South-East residents to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
The minister argued that the region should build political alliances with other parts of the country rather than rely on regional sentiments, adding that supporting Tinubu for another term could strengthen the South-East’s future presidential ambition.
He also questioned Obi’s promise to serve only one four-year term if elected president, arguing that such an arrangement would not be acceptable to the region after waiting decades for an opportunity to produce Nigeria’s president.
Umahi further claimed that Ebonyi State, which he said had 1.8 million registered voters, should deliver 1.3 million votes for Tinubu and Governor Francis Nwifuru in the 2027 elections.
The exchange has added another dimension to the political debate surrounding Obi’s 2027 ambition, regional representation and the influence of political figures in the South-East.
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