Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu will return to office after the 2027 presidential election, saying he believes the All Progressives Congress (APC) can also secure victory across the five Southeast states.

Umahi made the remarks while appearing on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where he said his belief in Tinubu’s re-election was rooted in his conviction that the President assumed office at a particularly difficult period for the country.

The minister said he believed God brought Tinubu into office at a challenging time and would enable him to overcome the difficulties confronting his administration.

“I have faith in God that the President will return because he came at a very challenging period. All manner of obstacles were thrown in his way, but power belongs to God,” Umahi said.

Speaking about his working relationship with Tinubu, the minister said his experience working closely with the President had convinced him that Tinubu had good intentions for the country.

“I have worked very closely with him. I have seen his good heart, I have seen his good intentions, and I’m telling you that the President has never asked me to give jobs to this or that person,” he said.

Umahi also addressed claims surrounding the award of projects in the Southeast, explaining that most of the projects in question involved contractors who had already been engaged before the current administration.

“One time, they told the President that I had given jobs to people from the Southeast and that was why I published this paper and went and gave it to him.

“Ninety-five per cent of those projects were inherited contractors, but if you are not performing, it doesn’t matter who you are,” he added.

On the 2027 elections in the Southeast, Umahi said he expected Tinubu to receive substantial support from the region, although he acknowledged that the outcome could not be guaranteed.

He nevertheless expressed his personal belief that the APC would win the five states in the region.

“I will not tell you whether we will win the five votes of the Southeast or not, but the President is going to harvest a lot of votes in the Southeast. My faith is telling me we will win the five states,” he said.

Umahi also cautioned against regional politics, urging Nigerians, particularly people from the Southeast, to embrace broader political cooperation.

“We shouldn’t play regional politics because it doesn’t help us. As a region, we should be able to have a handshake across the Niger,” he added.