Umahi dismisses Obi’s claim of threats to life, says ex-LP candidate will lose again in 2027

Minister of Works David Umahi has dismissed claims by former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi that his life is under threat, insisting that no one is interested in harming him and that he would remain alive to contest the 2027 presidential election.

Umahi spoke on Friday while inspecting ongoing federal road projects in Ebonyi State, according to a report by ThisDay. His remarks came two days after Obi alleged that he had received threats over his criticism of the Federal Government and expressed concern about Nigeria’s political atmosphere.

The minister described Obi’s claims as a reflection of political frustration, saying there was no basis for fears about his safety.

“Nobody wants Obi dead; it’s not just reasonable. We all want him alive to contest this election and watch himself lose again,” Umahi said.

The former Ebonyi State governor argued that Obi’s concerns were linked to his belief that the South-East remained his political base following the 2023 presidential election.

“What he is afraid of is because he said South-East is his catchment area because of the last election, which I call accident of history,” he said.

Umahi maintained that President Bola Tinubu’s infrastructure projects and appointments in the South-East had reshaped political sentiments across the region.

According to him, ongoing federal investments have convinced many residents that supporting Tinubu’s administration is in the region’s best interest.

“We have come with visible development in the zone, and our people have now agreed with us that we are better off with President Tinubu to complete the good works he is doing for us than playing Artificial Intelligence (AI) kind of politics,” he said.