Bayo Onanuga, spokesperson for President Bola Tinubu, has expressed his support for Minister of Works, Engineer Dave Umahi, alleging that Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the previous general election, was stirring up Igbos against the government.
Onanuga asserted that Umahi’s accusation highlights Obi’s double standards regarding the Lagos-Calabar superhighway. “Engineer Dave Umahi’s statement underscores Peter Obi’s hypocrisy on the Lagos-Calabar superhighway,” he posted on his social media account on Thursday.
Umahi had reportedly claimed that Obi was inciting the people of the southeast, particularly those who were misinformed, against the government. Umahi further alleged that even after getting the Igbos into trouble, Obi would not step forward to defend them.
Umahi made these remarks on Wednesday during a discussion about compensating property owners affected by the Lagos-Calabar coastal road project, which has been mired in controversy. The project involves the demolition of the Landmark Beach Resort, valued at $200 million, to create a right of way. The entire project is estimated to cost the federal government N15 trillion.
Obi had criticized Tinubu’s administration for proceeding with the contentious Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project despite public opposition. He argued that the government was investing in a project that would result in job losses at a time of widespread unemployment, suggesting that it wasn’t too late to halt the project.
In contrast, Umahi questioned Obi’s stance on the project, accusing him of condemning people and bringing judgment upon himself by doing so.