David Umahi directs superhighway acceleration and denies regional bias

Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, has issued several directives and political clarifications during recent inspections of major infrastructure projects. While inspecting the Calabar-Abuja Superhighway, Umahi ordered contractors to accelerate construction by opening multiple work fronts simultaneously. He also issued a directive to halt any building demolitions along the project alignment until a formal review and potential realignment are completed.

Addressing political developments, Umahi dismissed allegations of regional bias, stating that federal road projects are distributed nationwide based on presidential approvals rather than favoritism toward the South-East. He also denied the existence of a ‘rainbow coalition’ in Ebonyi State, asserting the state remains aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Regarding the 2027 general elections, Umahi stated that it is not currently the turn of the Igbo people to produce the presidency, arguing that the current political moment belongs to President Bola Tinubu. He further defended the government's use of borrowing for national development and infrastructure, maintaining that such debt is used for productive, high-impact projects.