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By 247ureports.com
Minister of Works David Umahi has again drawn a direct comparison between his own development record as former Ebonyi governor and Peter Obi’s as former Anambra governor, continuing a pattern of recent Channels Television appearances in which he has downplayed Obi’s standing as a threat to President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
What Umahi Said
In comments attributed to a recent Channels TV appearance, Umahi is quoted contrasting his own record directly against Obi’s: “I built the best university and teaching hospital in Nigeria, and my airport is one of the best. When people talk about performance, mine is not just talk — go and verify, the evidence is there. Show Peter Obi’s village and my own, Uburu, let’s compare.” 247ureports.com could not independently verify this specific quote in these exact words, though it is consistent with Umahi’s documented, repeated framing in recent interviews.
What is independently confirmed is that Umahi made comparable remarks on Channels TV’s “Sunday Politics” around October 4, where he said Obi “is not a threat” to Tinubu and the APC in 2027, arguing Obi is not the only South-Eastern candidate in the race and that the APC’s record in government would help it win votes in the region. He separately predicted the APC could sweep all five South-East states in 2027, attributing Obi’s dominant 2023 performance there largely to a protest vote against the region’s perceived marginalization under former President Muhammadu Buhari — rather than to any enduring personal popularity.
What Can Be Verified About His Record
Some elements of Umahi’s development claims are independently confirmed. The David Nweze Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, located in his home community of Uburu, Ohaozara LGA, is a real institution — originally established as King David University of Medical Sciences before its conversion to a federal university, and Umahi is noted as the first living Nigerian to have a federal university named in his honor. Umahi’s broader infrastructure record as Ebonyi governor (2015–2023), including flyover and road construction in Abakaliki, is also well documented and frequently cited by his supporters. 247ureports.com could not independently verify the specific claims regarding the “best teaching hospital in Nigeria” or airport superlatives, which are Umahi’s own characterizations.
For Context: Obi’s Development Record
Obi’s camp disputes any framing suggesting his Anambra tenure produced only “talk.” His administration is independently credited with building Anambra’s first state-owned teaching hospital, attracting a roughly $100 million SABMiller brewery investment to Onitsha, helping establish Innoson Motors — Nigeria’s first indigenous vehicle manufacturing plant — and lifting the state’s WAEC ranking from 25th to 1st nationally over his final three years in office, among other documented achievements addressed in earlier comparative reporting on his tenure. Obi’s own hometown, Agulu in Anambra State, has not been the subject of the same kind of targeted “flagship” infrastructure claims Umahi makes about Uburu, though this reflects differing development approaches and emphases between the two men’s tenures rather than an absence of development claims on Obi’s part.
An Escalating Rivalry
Umahi’s comments extend a sustained campaign of criticism against Obi that has intensified throughout September and October 2026, running parallel to the broader dispute between Obi and the Anambra State Government over his gubernatorial debt record. Obi has largely avoided responding to Umahi directly, previously stating he would not insult or disrespect political opponents regardless of their differences.
