You’re No Buhari! — Umahi Blasts Kwankwaso For Misleading The North

Minister of Works, David Umahi, has strongly criticized former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, accusing him of intentionally misleading Northerners with claims that President Bola Tinubu’s development projects are skewed in favor of the South.

In a statement personally signed in Abuja on Saturday, Umahi labeled Kwankwaso’s allegations as “mischievous, misleading, and baseless,” affirming that Tinubu’s infrastructure drive is equitably spread across all six geo-political zones.

He warned that Kwankwaso’s remarks are a ploy to stir regional disunity and portray himself as a champion of the North, while attempting to lay claim to the legacy of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

“I find his statement not only deceptive but desperate,” Umahi said. “It’s a calculated move to create division and to position himself as Buhari’s political heir through pretentious means.”

Umahi emphasized that emulating Buhari’s legacy requires years of dedicated service, not political gimmicks. He urged Northerners to reject the narrative being pushed by Kwankwaso and focus on facts backed by project data.

He went on to provide detailed breakdowns of the Tinubu administration’s flagship infrastructure projects, stating that the North currently holds 52% of total ongoing projects while the South has 48%. For example:

• Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway (750 km): 110 km ongoing in Lagos; 65 km across Cross River and Akwa Ibom.

• Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway (1,068 km): 258 km ongoing in Kebbi; 120 km in Sokoto.

• Trans Sahara Road (465 km): 118 km under construction in Ebonyi.

• Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe Road (439 km): Under redesign to rigid pavement.

Other major projects in the North include:

• Sokoto–Gusau–Funtua–Zaria Road (275 km dualized): ₦824 billion project across Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, and Kaduna.

• Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Road (350 km dualized): ₦764 billion, with 30% already funded.

• BUA Tax Credit Road: 256 km dualized across Jigawa, Katsina, and Kano.

• Numerous projects in Borno, Kebbi, Yobe, and other northern states.

For the South, Umahi listed:

• Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, Enugu–Onitsha Road, 2nd Niger Bridge Access Road, East-West Road, Eket Bypass, and various bridge repairs across Lagos.

Concluding his statement, Umahi declared, “Senator Kwankwaso has not been fair to President Tinubu or to the cause of national unity. The numbers speak for themselves—these projects are national in scope and impact.”