Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has said the South-East will eventually produce Nigeria’s president but argued that, in his view, it is not yet the region’s turn to occupy the presidency.
Umahi made the statement on Thursday in Benin City, Edo State, while speaking at the “Operation Rescue Benin-Asaba Road” event.
“What we are saying is that it is not the turn of Igbos yet,” Umahi said, adding that the South-East would have its opportunity to produce the country’s president in the future.
The minister further said the claim that the Igbo could never produce a Nigerian president was unfounded, maintaining that the region would eventually attain the presidency.
“We will one day become president, but it is not yet our turn,” he said, while expressing support for President Bola Tinubu remaining in office.
Umahi’s comments come amid ongoing political discussions over regional representation and the 2027 presidential election.
The question of which region should produce Nigeria’s president has remained a subject of political debate, with different political figures and groups expressing varying views on zoning, rotation and the constitutional right of eligible Nigerians from any part of the country to contest for the presidency.
During the same event, Umahi also responded to comparisons between himself and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi. He rejected suggestions that Obi was superior to him and said any comparison should consider their respective backgrounds, intellectual capacities, records in public service and contributions to the South-East.
The minister’s comments were made against the backdrop of his wider defence of the Tinubu administration and discussions surrounding political representation ahead of 2027.
His position on the timing of a South-East presidency represents his stated political view on regional power rotation rather than a constitutional requirement, as Nigeria’s Constitution does not assign the presidency to a particular geopolitical zone.
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