Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has dismissed reports of a political rift between him and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, amid tensions surrounding Wike’s Rainbow Coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Umahi spoke on Wednesday in Abuja while briefing journalists on the Federal Government’s infrastructure projects, describing reports of a strained relationship between him and Wike as exaggerated by political opponents.
“We need Wike as Wike needs us. So, it’s one family,” Umahi said.
The statement comes against the backdrop of political differences surrounding Wike’s Rainbow Coalition, a multi-party platform through which the FCT minister and his allies have expressed support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
Although Wike has maintained that the coalition is separate from the All Progressives Congress and allows members of different political parties to work together in support of Tinubu, the arrangement has generated concerns among some APC leaders over its possible implications for the party’s candidates in the 2027 elections.
The political differences have also surfaced in Umahi’s recent comments. In September, the former Ebonyi State governor rejected claims that the Rainbow Coalition was operating in the state, insisting that Ebonyi remained firmly aligned with the APC and its candidates.
“If Wike has candidates here, he has not told me. And his candidate cannot break our relationship, but his candidate is not part of our relationship. There is no rainbow coalition in Ebonyi State,” Umahi said.
Despite the political disagreements surrounding the coalition, Umahi described Wike as a progressive politician and maintained that they remain members of the same political family.
He urged political actors to prioritise national development and avoid allowing political differences to damage relationships among members of the same political camp.
The minister also used the briefing to highlight the Federal Government’s infrastructure agenda, saying the Ministry of Works inherited 2,068 ongoing projects valued at about N13 trillion.
Umahi defended the procurement process for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, saying the law allows open competitive tendering, selective tendering and special procurement.
He said the first phase of the coastal highway was awarded through special procurement because of the project’s complex terrain and the need for a contractor with specialised coastal engineering experience.
The minister added that the government had commenced interventions on the Asaba-Benin road following challenges associated with its concession, while work was also progressing on the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway.
Umahi said the various projects were part of the Tinubu administration’s efforts to address Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit and improve connectivity across the country.