‘Federal projects are constitutional right not APC Reward’ — Rights advocate faults Umahi’s comment

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

Human rights activist and Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Okechukwu Nwanguma, has criticised comments credited to the Minister of Works, David Umahi, over calls for the South-East to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 elections or risk losing federal infrastructure projects in the region.

Reacting through a post on his Facebook page, Nwanguma described the remarks as “insulting to democracy” and degrading to the dignity of Ndi Igbo, warning against attempts to portray federal infrastructure as political rewards tied to electoral loyalty.

According to him, roads, bridges and other public infrastructure are constitutional obligations of government funded by taxpayers’ money and should never be treated as personal gifts from any administration or political party.

“Telling people to surrender 100 per cent of their votes or risk losing federal projects sounds less like democratic leadership and more like political blackmail,” Nwanguma stated.

He added that citizens should not be treated as political hostages whose access to development depends on supporting the ruling party.

The rights advocate further argued that the South-East deserves inclusion, fairness and equal citizenship rather than what he described as patronising political lectures about gratitude for projects financed with public funds.

Nwanguma’s reaction followed recent comments by Umahi during an inspection of ongoing federal road and bridge projects in Ebonyi State where the minister urged the South-East to overwhelmingly support Tinubu in the 2027 elections.

Umahi had reportedly warned that failure by communities in the region to support the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) could affect the continuation of major federal projects, including roads and bridges currently under construction.

The minister specifically cited the ongoing Calabar–Ebonyi–Benue–Nasarawa–Abuja Superhighway project and argued that the Tinubu administration had made unprecedented infrastructure investments in the South-East.

He also claimed that the region had regained political relevance under the current administration through strategic appointments and infrastructure development.

But Nwanguma maintained that development should never be conditional on political obedience, stressing that democracy thrives on free political choice rather than coercion or implied threats.

“A people with dignity cannot be threatened into political loyalty,” he stated.

The controversy has since triggered broader debate over the relationship between governance, federal projects and electoral politics ahead of the 2027 general elections.