Umahi Dismisses Rift With Wike, Says ‘We Need Wike As Wike Needs Us’

Minister of Works David Umahi has dismissed reports of a strained relationship with Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, describing the former Rivers State governor as a progressive politician and insisting that they remain members of the same political family.

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Umahi spoke on Wednesday at a press conference in Abuja amid concerns within the All Progressives Congress (APC) over Wike’s political activities and the reported emergence of the Rainbow Coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“We need Wike as Wike needs us. So, it’s one family,” Umahi said, urging political actors to focus more on national development rather than perceived disagreements within the political family.

The minister said reports of a serious disagreement between him and Wike had been exaggerated, maintaining that their relationship remained cordial. Wike, who remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has been associated with the Rainbow Coalition, a political movement whose activities have generated debate over its possible impact on the APC and President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

Umahi also used the briefing to highlight the Federal Government’s infrastructure programme, saying the Works Ministry inherited 2,068 projects with a combined value of about ₦13 trillion. He said the administration was working to reduce Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit and improve connectivity across the country.

On the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway, the minister disclosed that 119 kilometres had been completed, while work on another 164-kilometre section was targeted for completion by November 15.

Umahi also defended the procurement process for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, saying the government followed legally recognised procurement options and that the relevant agencies, including the Bureau of Public Procurement and the Federal Executive Council, approved the process.

He further disclosed that the government had begun an “operation rescue” on the Asaba-Benin road after challenges associated with its concession, with intervention on seven sections of the highway to restore traffic flow. He said plans were underway to redesign and reconstruct the road with concrete pavement.

“There is no part of this country, there is no state that is not a construction site under President Bola Tinubu,” Umahi said.