Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, has described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a man on a divine mission, stating that the President’s rise to power despite numerous obstacles is a sign of God’s hand in Nigeria’s leadership journey.
Umahi made this declaration during a press conference on Friday in Lagos, following an inspection tour of ongoing federal road projects across the South-West. He was responding to a wide-ranging question on the current wave of political defections, emerging coalitions, and the perceived consolidation of power by the ruling party.
“I think Mr. President is on a divine mission. That’s the way I see it. God sends people,” Umahi said.
“I think that by reason of the kind of challenges and obstacles thrown on the way of president Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the election and he surmounted all of them, I think that it is the will of God.”
Addressing concerns that Nigeria may be drifting toward a one-party system — or that the President is quietly consolidating control through political manoeuvring — Umahi dismissed the idea of feeling politically threatened.
He urged opposition figures and political coalitions to go beyond criticism and clearly communicate their achievements, proposals, and capacity to deliver tangible results, stressing that leadership should be measured not by words, but by impact — particularly in past positions held.
Umahi stated, “If you are in coalition, you must tell your people why you are in coalition. You must be able to tell your people your previous engagement in your state or within the national interest, what and what you’ve been able to achieve.
“Talk is cheap for me but people believe that opposition is just to criticise. The job is very easy when you are not the one doing it. But then when you were there, what and what were you able to do? What and what were the challenges?
“Now, you are opposing. Very beautiful because there must be an opposition. What are you proposing? Somebody says, ‘Oh, give me a chance and in two years I will fix Nigeria.’ How will you fix Nigeria? I think you’ve occupied a political office. How did you fix that state? What and what industries did you put in place that are thriving today? What and what size of roads did you build that are still there? What marks did you make that we can go back and say, ‘Oh, this person existed?’”
Umahi then used the opportunity to commend President Bola Tinubu, saying the infrastructure being delivered under his leadership are “legacy projects” that will endure for generations as proof of his hard work.
He stated, “That’s why I commend the president very highly. These are legacy projects that will outlive him even to the sixth and seventh generation and this is very important.”
Melissa Enoch
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