Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has dismissed Peter Obi’s claim that his life is under threat, saying the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate will be alive to contest the 2027 presidential election but will lose at the polls.

Umahi made the remarks on Friday while inspecting ongoing federal road projects in Ebonyi State, describing Obi’s concerns as unfounded.

“Nobody wants Obi dead; it’s not just reasonable. We all want him alive to contest this election and watch himself lose again,” the minister said.

Obi had earlier alleged that he had received threats over his criticism of the Federal Government, raising concerns about the country’s political climate.

Reacting to the claim, Umahi said Obi’s fears were rooted in his belief that the South-East remained his political stronghold after the 2023 presidential election.

“What he is afraid of is because he said South-East is his catchment area because of the last election, which I call accident of history,” he said.

The former Ebonyi State governor argued that President Bola Tinubu’s infrastructure projects and appointments in the South-East had significantly altered the region’s political dynamics.

“We have come with visible development in the zone, and our people have now agreed with us that we are better off with President Tinubu to complete the good works he is doing for us than playing Artificial Intelligence (AI) kind of politics,” Umahi added.

He also challenged Obi to a public debate on the performance of the Tinubu administration, insisting that the Federal Government’s policies and projects have delivered tangible benefits to the South-East.