The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has expressed confidence that the overwhelming victory recorded by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the recent Ekiti State governorship election is a clear indication of what Nigerians should expect in the 2027 presidential election, declaring that Ekiti has set the pace for another nationwide electoral triumph for the ruling party.
Umahi made the declaration on Wednesday while receiving the Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, during a courtesy visit to the Federal Ministry of Works headquarters in Mabushi, Abuja.
Congratulating Governor Oyebanji on what he described as a resounding electoral victory, the minister also congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC, saying the outcome of the election reflected growing public confidence in the administration's infrastructure and development agenda.
"Let me congratulate you very highly, and then congratulate Mr. President and, by extension, our party, APC. It happened in Ekiti. It also happened in the off-cycle elections at the National Assembly across the country," Umahi said.
According to him, the increasing acceptance of the APC across the country is being driven by President Tinubu's commitment to delivering critical infrastructure projects and ensuring equitable distribution of development across all parts of Nigeria.
He said the President's intervention in road infrastructure was visible in every region of the country, noting that no state had been neglected under the current administration.
"Technically, APC spoke very loudly because of the great work that the President is doing. I congratulate you very seriously and assure you that the same way the President is intervening in Ekiti, he is intervening all over the country. There is no place where we have road challenges that the President is not intervening. It is for the first time that we have a fair distribution of infrastructure across the 36 states and the FCT," he stated.
Projecting ahead to the next general election, Umahi declared that the outcome witnessed in Ekiti would be replicated nationwide in support of President Tinubu.
"As it happened in Ekiti, so shall it happen for the President in 2027," he said.
The minister also assured the Ekiti State governor that the newly approved Ado-Ijan-Ilumoba-Ikole Road project would be awarded through a transparent procurement process, stressing that the successful contractor would be made known to the state government to ensure proper monitoring of the project.
Earlier, Governor Oyebanji attributed the APC's unprecedented electoral success in Ekiti State to President Tinubu's prompt intervention in critical road infrastructure and Umahi's commitment to implementing the President's approvals without delay.
He explained that the reconstruction of the Itawure-Aramoko-Ado Road ended years of neglect and fulfilled a long-standing aspiration of the people of the state.
According to the governor, after presenting the condition of the road to the Minister of Works, Umahi immediately took the matter to President Tinubu, who approved the project, leading to the mobilisation of contractors to the site within three weeks.
Oyebanji said the swift execution of the project earned the appreciation of Ekiti residents and contributed significantly to the APC's historic victory at the governorship election.
He noted that the ruling party won in all the 16 local government areas, every ward in the state, and secured 85.6 per cent of the total votes cast, describing the outcome as unprecedented in Ekiti's political history.
The governor further disclosed that after presenting his certificate of return to President Tinubu, the President approved another major road project, the Ado-Ijan-Ilumoba-Ikole Road which he described as a vital transport corridor linking the South to the North.
Oyebanji said his visit to the ministry was to appreciate Umahi for his dedication to infrastructure delivery and to convey the gratitude of the people of Ekiti to President Tinubu for what he described as unprecedented federal interventions in the state.
He maintained that the Tinubu administration had provided more infrastructure and development projects to Ekiti than any previous administration, citing improvements in road construction, agriculture and healthcare.
The governor expressed confidence that the people of Ekiti would continue to support President Tinubu in future elections, saying the state's overwhelming endorsement of the APC was rooted in the visible impact of the administration's development initiatives.
