Tinubu Can’t Be Tired With FEC Members – Umahi

…Asks NANS to support present administration

…Says he is on a joint ballot with Tinubu

Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, on Monday dismissed claims by opposition figures that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is tired and no longer fit to continue leading the country, insisting that the President remains focused, energetic and committed to delivering on his administration’s development agenda.

Umahi spoke in Abuja while receiving the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), led by its President, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, during a courtesy visit and conferment of NANS Patron status on the minister.

The minister urged Nigerian students to support the present administration, arguing that President Tinubu’s economic reforms and infrastructure programmes were beginning to yield positive results across the country.

Reacting to criticisms directed at the President’s capacity to govern, Umahi said members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) collectively work with and complement the President in implementing government policies.

“You know, we have at this point somebody saying President Tinubu is tired. How do you know he is tired? I am part of President Tinubu, the Minister of Interior, the FCT Minister, and all the ministers and aides. We are all part of one administration. If you say the President is not doing well, what is your alternative?” he asked.

The minister also took a swipe at opposition politicians whom he accused of criticising government policies without presenting practical alternatives.

According to him, leadership should be driven by vision backed with a clear implementation strategy, stressing that many of the narratives circulating on social media were driven more by sentiments than facts.

Umahi maintained that students and young Nigerians must rise above misinformation and objectively assess the performance of government based on verifiable records and projects on the ground.

He cited ongoing road projects across the country, including the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, the Lokoja-Benin-Warri corridor and several other legacy projects being executed by the Federal Government.

According to him, the administration has committed hundreds of billions of naira to critical infrastructure, creating thousands of jobs and improving connectivity across the federation.

Speaking on the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano project, Umahi said substantial progress had been achieved, expressing optimism that major sections of the highway would soon be completed.

He said the government’s infrastructure programme was not only opening up economic opportunities but also generating employment for thousands of Nigerians, noting that no major project site under the ministry had fewer than 1,000 workers.

The minister argued that the impact of fuel subsidy removal and other economic reforms was beginning to reflect in the economy, pointing to what he described as improved macroeconomic indicators, greater exchange rate stability and declining food prices.

He urged Nigerian youths to embrace productivity, entrepreneurship and skills acquisition rather than relying solely on complaints about economic hardship.

“We need to do things with our hands. God never created anybody to be idle. We must have something in our hands that can become the subject of prayer,” he said.

Umahi also defended the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, describing criticisms against it as unfair and politically motivated.

According to him, the project is a strategic national investment that will stimulate economic growth, enhance transportation and create opportunities along the coastal corridor.

The minister further argued that President Tinubu had demonstrated commitment to addressing longstanding infrastructure deficits in the South-East and other parts of the country, adding that the region was receiving unprecedented federal road investments.

He also addressed recent political comments suggesting that he was not on the ballot for the 2027 elections and therefore should not engage opposition presidential aspirants in political debates.

Umahi disagreed, saying members of the administration were collectively stakeholders in the success of the Tinubu government.

“They say I am not on the ballot. The President is on the ballot, and I am on the ballot to continue the good work we are doing and to tell my people the good news about what this administration is doing,” he said.

The minister called on NANS and Nigerian youths to take an active interest in national development and support leaders they believe are delivering tangible results.

Earlier, NANS President, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, said the student body decided to honour Umahi in recognition of his contributions to infrastructure development and national service.

Afeez noted that road infrastructure directly affects students through transportation, access to educational institutions and economic opportunities, adding that several projects being executed by the Ministry of Works had improved connectivity across the country.

He commended the minister’s leadership of the ministry and expressed the desire of the student body to deepen engagement with the Federal Ministry of Works by undertaking nationwide tours of major road projects to enable students to assess and publicise their impact.

The NANS President said the association considered Umahi worthy of the patronship honour because of his record of public service, innovation and commitment to infrastructure development.

The visit culminated in the formal conferment of NANS Patron status on the minister, who pledged continued collaboration with the student body and encouraged its members to remain constructive participants in national development.