My Family Has Amassed Unquantifiable Wealth, Capable of Funding Anything, Nigerian Minister David Umahi Brags

Secrets Reporters

In a brazen display of intoxicated power typical of Nigerian politicians, the Minister of Works, David Umahi has averred that since ascending the throne of a minister under the current President Bola Tinubu-led federal government, his wealth, influence and status have ballooned beyond the days he wielded enormous constitutional powers as a State governor.

The former Ebonyi State number one man disclosed this development while speaking at a political gathering in a video obtained by SecretsReporters.

Without mincing words, Umahi, in a tone typical of the Biblical king Nebuchadnezzar, boastfully averred that he is now ten times bigger than he was during his time as a governor, stressing that there is no problem his wealth cannot solve.

In the video in our possession, he could be heard saying “Come together. Tell your sons and daughters to come together. Let them approach me and state their needs, and they will be attended to”.

The former two-time Governor bumptiously said: “I am ten times bigger now than I was when I was a governor,’ and as though he was threatening his political opponents, said “I am very dangerous now”.

Adding fuel to his already inflammable remarks, the minister who has dubbed himself ‘professor of infrastructure,’ said “God has blessed the Umahi family beyond wealth,” adding that “we are capable of funding anything”.

Reacting to Umahi’s remarks, a constitutional lawyer and public affairs analyst described Umahi’s remarks as a troubling departure from the ethical expectations of public office under Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.

According to him, the 1999 Constitution (as amended) is unequivocal on the limits of power and wealth accumulation by public officials. He cited Section 15(5), which mandates the Nigerian state to “abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power,” stressing that open boasts about unquantifiable wealth and limitless financial capacity by a serving minister raise serious red flags.

“Public office is a position of trust, not a pedestal for personal aggrandisement,” he said. “The Constitution does not envisage a minister who is ‘ten times bigger’ than democratic institutions or who presents himself as a political godfather with boundless resources. Such rhetoric undermines the rule of law and feeds a culture of impunity.”

He further referenced the Fifth Schedule (Code of Conduct for Public Officers), which requires asset declaration and prohibits public officials from using office to enrich themselves or their families. “If wealth multiplies astronomically after assuming office, the Constitution demands scrutiny, not applause,” he added.

Also reacting, a governance and anti-corruption civil society organization, the Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT) viewed the comments as symptomatic of what they termed the “feudal capture of democratic institutions,” where elected or appointed officials begin to see themselves as emperors rather than servants of the people.

The group pointed to Section 14(2)(a) and (b) of the Constitution, which states that sovereignty belongs to the people and that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.

“When a minister publicly invites citizens to ‘approach him’ like supplicants to a monarch, it suggests a dangerous personalization of state power,” the group said. “Nigeria is not run on personal benevolence or family wealth; it is run on laws, budgets approved by the National Assembly, and institutions funded by taxpayers.”

They warned that such statements erode democratic norms and normalize a culture where access to public goods depends on proximity to powerful individuals rather than constitutional guarantees.

A public policy expert Onoja Johnson Baba argued that the remarks, regardless of intent, deepen public cynicism about governance and reinforce perceptions that political office is primarily a route to personal enrichment.

He referenced Section 16(1)(b) of the Constitution, which obligates the state to manage national resources in a manner that serves the common good, not private families or political networks.

“When a serving minister openly boasts that his family can ‘fund anything,’ Nigerians are entitled to ask: fund what, and from which sources?” Onoja queried. “Public officers are custodians of public resources, not proprietors of power.”

“In a country battling poverty, infrastructure deficits, and youth unemployment, triumphalist talk about limitless wealth is not only insensitive, it is constitutionally tone-deaf,” he concluded.

In Nigeria, a state Governor is generally considered more powerful than a federal Minister due to their status as elected, chief executives with constitutional authority over an entire state, immunity from prosecution, and direct control over state resources. Ministers are appointed by the President, with authority limited to specific portfolios. So, it is unclear how Umahi is wielding more power, influence and wealth as a minister more than his days as a governor.

Recall that on 29 January 2021, Peoples Gazette reported that throughout Umahi’s tenure as deputy governor and governor, he had transferred more than ₦3.6 billion in government money to his company, Brass Engineering & Construction Nigeria Limited. Bank records showed the payments starting in 2011, when Umahi became deputy governor to Martin Elechi, and continued into his term as governor. In response, Umahi and an aide threatened Peoples Gazette reporters on phone calls and the Peoples Gazette website was blocked, before requesting a retraction and ₦1 billion as “atonement” from the newspaper. After the paper stood by its story, Umahi sued the Peoples Gazette for defamation and demanded ₦2 billion in damages.

Public records show that David Umahi began his political journey in 2007 as the acting chairman of the Ebonyi State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), before serving as state chairman from 2009 to 2011. During this period, he also spent a year as chairman of the governing board of the Federal Medical Centre in Asaba. In 2011, he ascended to the position of Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State on a ticket with then-Governor Martin Elechi. However, tensions arose in 2014 when Elechi endorsed Onyebuchi Chukwu, then Minister of Health, as his preferred successor, a move Umahi claimed breached an earlier understanding. Undeterred, Umahi defeated Chukwu in the PDP primaries. The closing months of Elechi’s tenure were turbulent, marked by an arson attack on the State House of Assembly in February 2015 and impeachment motions citing alleged gross misconduct, misappropriation of funds, and anti-party activities.

Umahi was elected Governor of Ebonyi State on 12 April 2015 under the PDP platform, though his victory faced legal challenges from the Labour Party, All Progressives Congress (APC), and All Progressives Grand Alliance, who cited “widespread irregularities, killings, and wanton destruction of property.” The Governorship Election Tribunal upheld his election in October 2015. He was re-elected on 16 March 2019, securing 393,343 votes to defeat APC’s Sonny Ogbuoji, who garnered 81,703 votes. In 2022, Umahi further expanded his political footprint by winning the APC primary for the Ebonyi South Senatorial District elections, cementing his continued influence in state and national politics.