Senator David Umahi, the Minister of Works has called on key regional opposition figures from the SouthEast to align with President Bola Tinubu for the greater good of the region.
He singled out Mr. Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last election to join them and work with the president.
Senator Umahi made the appeal in a feature interview for an upcoming State House documentary marking President Tinubu’s second anniversary, according to a statement issued by Chief Bayo Onanuga, the spokesman of the president.
“Leadership is not about self—it’s about the people. If someone else is already doing what you would have done for your people, support him. I call on my brother, His Excellency Peter Obi, to join us and work with Mr. President.
“He must be part of this summit where we will collectively endorse President Tinubu for the 2027 election. I say it boldly: the South East is happy with the President”, he said.
While providing updates on four major national projects—the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, the Trans-Saharan Trade Route, and the soon-to-be-procured Ogun-Ondo-Niger Corridor—Senator Umahi described them as transformative investments designed to unlock Nigeria’s economic potential and deepen regional integration.
On the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Minister revealed that over 80 per cent of Section 1—spanning 47.47 kilometres from Ahmadu Bello Way to the Lekki Deep Sea Port and terminating at Eleko Junction—had been completed. Work is also progressing on Section 2, which covers 55 kilometres from Eleko Junction to the Lagos-Ogun border.
“By December, we will toll Section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. We project a 10-year return on investment. The road has solar-powered lighting and CCTV infrastructure and offers carbon credit advantages.
“It is more than a road—it is an economic corridor and a catalyst for regional growth. We have completed 30 kilometres of Section 1 and are on track to complete an additional 10 in Section 2. These are six-lane, concrete-paved highways.
“Just days ago, we flagged off Sections 3 and 3B—65 kilometres in total—covering 38 kilometres in Cross River State and 27 kilometres in Akwa Ibom. The host communities’ excitement speaks to these projects’ transformative impact.”
