A fierce political row has erupted in the South-East following a controversial directive by Works Minister Dave Umahi to decorate the historic First Niger Bridge with portraits of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu upon completion of ongoing structural repairs.
Inspecting the crucial Onitsha-Asaba transport link, Umahi ordered all illegal billboards removed and replaced with large photographs of the President. The minister argued that the visual display serves as a deserving token of appreciation for the administration’s swift intervention in rehabilitating the vandalized, critical infrastructure.
However, the directive immediately split opinion across political lines in Anambra State. Surprisingly, the Anambra State Government directly contradicted the leadership of its own ruling party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). While APGA State Chairman Chief Ifeatu Obi-Okoye defended the move as standard official protocol for federal establishments, the State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, dismissed the idea, asserting that government focus should strictly remain on structural safety and project execution rather than displaying portraits.
Opposition parties launched a far harsher attack, roundly condemning the minister’s order as shameless political sycophancy. Leaders from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the National Democratic Coalition (NDC) pointed out that the maintenance project is funded entirely by taxpayers’ collective wealth rather than the President’s personal pocket. Legal experts additionally warned that pasting massive political portraits on public infrastructure defaces a iconic national landmark and turns a public utility into an election campaign billboard ahead of 2027.
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