Minister of Works and former Ebonyi State governor David Umahi has denied claims that he deployed police officers against Tracy Ohiri over an alleged campaign debt, insisting that law enforcement acted in accordance with due process.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, Umahi said the Nigeria Police Force acted in line with its constitutional mandate after his lawyer submitted a petition.
“The Nigeria Police Force, acting within its constitutional mandate to maintain law and order and investigate complaints, acted on a petition submitted by the Minister’s lawyer, arrested her, and invited the Honourable Minister in line with standard procedure for statements,” the statement said.
Umahi described Ohiri’s allegations as inconsistent and contradictory, noting that the claims—relating to alleged assault and unpaid campaign materials—have circulated publicly since last year.
“It is important to state that her accounts have been inconsistent, contradictory, and lacking coherence, a fact that has been widely observed by members of the public who have followed the matter over time,” he added.
The minister also addressed a recent public confrontation involving activist Omoyele Sowore, who challenged him over the same issue. Umahi characterised the incident as an attempt to sensationalise an ongoing legal process.
“Mr. Sowore’s attempt to dramatize this lawful process by staging a public spectacle is a familiar pattern of performative activism aimed at gaining attention rather than seeking truth,” he said, adding that he chose not to engage and urged respect for due process.
According to Umahi, the matter remains under police investigation and will be determined by facts.
He reaffirmed his commitment to transparency, the rule of law and continued delivery of infrastructure projects, saying he would not be distracted by what he described as “calculated provocations.”
The controversy follows a viral video in which Sowore confronted Umahi over Ohiri’s claims of unpaid campaign materials and alleged assault.
