David Umahi, Nigeria’s Minister of Works and former Governor of Ebonyi State, is facing serious allegations.
Businesswoman Tracy Nicolas Ohiri claims he has refused to pay her N200 million for promotional goods supplied during his 2014 gubernatorial campaign.
Umahi served as the governor of Ebonyi State for eight years, from 2015 to 2023, after his tenure as deputy governor.
In an interview, Mrs. Ohiri accused Umahi of withholding the payment as retaliation for rejecting his sexual advances.
As stated by Ohiri, Umahi initially promised to settle the debt after winning the election.
However, when she began pressing for payment after his victory, Umahi allegedly attempted to shift the nature of their business dealings into a personal relationship.
Ohiri recounted that upon supplying the items, Umahi claimed financial difficulties but assured her he would pay after winning the governorship race.
“When he won, I began to ask for my money, but he started making personal advances toward me,” she said. “He would promise to pay, but the conversation would always turn to his personal interests.”
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She further alleged that when she rejected his advances, Umahi became hostile, refusing to respond to her calls.
“He told me, ‘Do you know that no woman has ever said no to me?’ I responded, ‘I don’t know about that, but I cannot have a relationship with you. This is strictly business.’ After that, he blocked me,” she said.
Frustrated after years of trying to recover the money, Ohiri has now turned to public protests and social media campaigns.
She is lamenting the financial struggles she’s faced while Umahi’s son enjoys a lavish lifestyle.
“I’m a mother with children. I see your son flying private jets. The money he spends on those jets is enough to pay me,” she said, emphasizing the nine years she’s spent waiting for payment.
The Minister has reacted through a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Uchenna Orji, who dismissed the claims as baseless, describing them as a social media stunt aimed at tarnishing the minister’s reputation.
“Has she started again? Tracynither, the so-called content creator, has spent the last two years ranting on social media with unfounded accusations against the honourable minister of works,” —Sahara reporters quoted him as saying.
Orji questioned why the allegations only resurfaced after Umahi’s appointment as a minister, noting that the businesswoman never raised the issue publicly during his eight-year tenure as Governor of Ebonyi State.
“It may interest you to know that during the honourable minister’s eight years as Governor of Ebonyi State, this woman never made such claims on any platform. It was only after his appointment as minister that she suddenly resurfaced with these allegations,” he added.
The media aide further argued that despite her online activism, Ohiri has not pursued legal action or reported the matter to law enforcement.
“She has been very active on social media, yet she has not reported the matter to the police or taken any legal action. I have no further response until she surfaces again,” Orji stated.
This accusation comes amid a broader wave of similar allegations against high-profile politicians in Nigeria.
In February 2025, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment, claiming he made inappropriate demands to support her Senate motions.
The Senate later suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months for breaching legislative conduct rules.
This is an updated story.
Crediblenewsng.com
