The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has accused Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), of initiating their confrontation over the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.
Umahi said he did not attack the former Anambra State governor but was responding to criticism Obi allegedly directed at him during a visit to the highway construction site.
The minister made the claims during an interview with ARISE News on Friday, insisting that Obi initiated the dispute by publicly criticising his handling of the project.
“We all determine our own destinies. I did not criticise Peter Obi; he started the confrontation by coming to the construction site where I was working and publicly castigating me,” Umahi said.
The former Ebonyi State governor also accused Obi of failing to caution his supporters over statements he considered inflammatory, particularly comments allegedly suggesting that the former governor would defeat any opponent in an election.
Umahi cited a reported remark by one of Obi’s supporters that even Jesus Christ would lose an election to the NDC presidential candidate.
“One of them reportedly said that even if Jesus contested in an election, Peter Obi would win. That is an affront to our faith, and I expected Peter Obi to speak out against such a statement,” he said.
He argued that Obi should have publicly condemned the remark, which he described as offensive to his Christian faith.
The latest exchange adds to the disagreements between the two politicians over the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, a major federal infrastructure project that has attracted public debate over its cost, priorities and implementation.
Obi had criticised the project as a misplaced priority, questioning the government’s decision to commit substantial public resources to the highway amid other pressing national needs.
Umahi, however, has repeatedly defended the project, arguing that its engineering specifications, difficult terrain and supporting infrastructure justify its cost.
The minister has also accused Obi of inciting people from the South-East against the Federal Government over the highway.
The dispute has since expanded beyond the project’s merits, with both politicians exchanging criticisms over their respective positions and conduct.
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