By Enioluwa Adeniyi

The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has clarified that the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, is not a precondition for the South-East’s support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

Speaking with journalists on Friday night in Lagos, Umahi dismissed the notion that the region was attaching Kanu’s freedom to its political alignment ahead of the next general elections.

Umahi said, “Somebody asked me about Nnamdi Kanu, and I said his matter is not a condition for the South-East to support the President.

“We are willing to negotiate his release, but no one should make it a condition because the President did not put him there.”

The former Ebonyi State governor described President Tinubu as a listening and reform-driven leader whose governance style had restored international confidence in Nigeria.

He said, “President Tinubu may not be perfect, but he is doing most things right. Look at where he picked up the economy from. The international community has confidence in his reforms. That is why we are getting support for our projects.”

He noted that several major infrastructure projects were currently underway in the South-East under Tinubu’s leadership, including the rehabilitation of roads that previous administrations had long abandoned.

Umahi also pushed back against claims that the region was being sidelined in federal appointments, insisting that the current administration had given the South-East more visibility than previous ones.

He stated, “Let those criticising the President show us what they have done for the country.”

He urged political leaders from the zone to unite and work with President Tinubu regardless of party affiliations, pointing out that even opposition governors in the region were collaborating well with the Federal Government.

On speculations surrounding his political ambition, Umahi made it clear that he had no interest in contesting the presidency in 2027.

He added, “I will not run. I will work for my boss, President Tinubu. APC is the path to achieving what we want. The South-East now has a voice at the centre. We will not return to Egypt.”