Youth Threatens Bigger Protest If Minister Umahi’s Supporters Keep Silencing Critics — Calls for Account of ₦500bn Projects

A viral video and a string of street actions have reignited public anger over accountability in governance after a group of Ebonyi youths publicly demanded an apology from Arise TV anchor Rufai Oseni for his heated exchange with Minister of Works, Engineer Dave (David) Umahi — a dispute that itself has drawn nationwide attention. 

In a widely shared clip, social commentator Verydarkman warned pro-Umahi demonstrators that further staged protests meant to bully or silence journalists would be met with counter-demonstrations demanding transparency. “If I see another video of you guys displaying foulness in the name of protest, David Umahi should get ready to see hundreds of youth and this time he must give account of how he has been spending our money,” the speaker said in the clip, which has been reposted across X, Instagram and Facebook. 

The social media backlash follows footage of youths in Abakaliki handing Rufai Oseni a 24-hour ultimatum to apologise to the minister — an action that many online users described as orchestrated and aimed at intimidating the press rather than seeking genuine redress. 

Observers say the controversy sits against a broader context of public demand for transparency over major infrastructure projects overseen by the Ministry of Works — including allegations and questions about the cost and management of multi-billion-naira contracts. Critics referenced the need for Umahi to account for contracts and payments reportedly totalling hundreds of billions of naira, a point emphasised by those calling for protests that push for financial clarity rather than personalised attacks. 

The incident was amplified after Umahi’s confrontational television exchange with Rufai Oseni, in which both men sparred over project costs and related reporting — an exchange that sparked commentary from governors, media groups, and civil society on the importance of holding public officials to account while protecting press freedom. 

Civil society actors and legal experts who reacted to the developments urged restraint and lawful protest, warning against threats or actions that could escalate into intimidation or violence. They called on the minister to publicly release clear, itemised accounts of major projects and for those who mobilise protests to ensure they are peaceful, fact-based and transparent about their aims. 

As clips and counter-clips continue to circulate online, the unfolding episode underlines two persistent tensions in Nigeria’s public life: the fragility of trust in how state resources are managed, and the contest between political loyalties and the media’s watchdog role. Many Nigerians watching the exchanges say their primary demand is simple: clear, verifiable answers about how public funds are spent — not political theatre.