Peter Obi Can Never Be South-East’s Best, Umahi Says

Minister of Works David Umahi has said former Anambra State governor Peter Obi cannot be regarded as the best presidential candidate from the South-East, arguing that the region has other qualified political figures. Umahi made the remarks during an interview with ARISE News on Friday, October 23, 2026, while defending South-East political leaders supporting President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election. “Peter Obi is not the best of our finest in South East. He’s not the best, he can never be the best,” Umahi said. The former Ebonyi State governor argued that Obi should have consulted governors and other political stakeholders in the region before pursuing his presidential ambition in 2023. “You cannot play politics in South East without consulting people like us,” he said, adding that he would have consulted widely if he had sought the presidency. Umahi maintained that the South-East should not automatically regard Obi as its strongest presidential contender because of his performance in the 2023 election. He argued that presidential ambitions require engagement with regional leaders and political negotiations beyond a candidate’s immediate support base. The minister also questioned the suggestion that Anambra State should automatically produce a presidential candidate whenever the South-East gets an opportunity to seek the nation's highest office. He noted that Nigeria’s first President, Nnamdi Azikiwe, came from the area now known as Anambra State, but argued that other states in the region should also have opportunities. Umahi specifically mentioned Ebonyi, Enugu, Abia and Imo as states that should be considered in future discussions about the South-East producing a president. He also defended political leaders from the region who support Tinubu rather than Obi, rejecting suggestions that their political choices amounted to a betrayal of the South-East. According to Umahi, the region’s prospects of producing a president depend on building alliances with other parts of the country rather than treating support for one politician as a test of regional loyalty. The minister’s comments follow an earlier dispute in September, when he challenged comparisons between himself and Obi, questioning whether the former Anambra governor had surpassed him in family background, intellectual capacity, public service or contributions to the South-East. Umahi has also previously argued that the South-East should support Tinubu’s administration, maintaining that the region needs strategic political alliances to advance its interests nationally. Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election under the Labour Party, remains a prominent political figure. He is now associated with the Nigeria Democratic Congress ahead of the 2027 election. Umahi’s latest remarks add to the continuing debate over political representation, regional interests and the South-East’s approach to the next presidential election.