The controversy between the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, and Mrs TracyNither Ohiri has taken a new dimension as the former Ebonyi State Governor claimed that his accuser’s decision to delete videos and claims of his indebtedness is an indication that she was merely out to tarnish his image.

Ohiri had alleged that Umahi owes her N250 million for promotional materials she supplied during his 2014 governorship campaign in Ebonyi State.

She had released photographs, video recordings, and chat messages, which she claims demonstrated that she had direct dealings with the minister and that transactions occurred. Among the materials shown in widely circulated clips are exercise books and table clocks bearing Umahi’s image. The minister has denied owing any such debt and has also denied allegations of inappropriate conduct, insisting that the claims against him are unfounded.

The dispute intensified after Ohiri was arrested in Lagos on allegations of cyberbullying and subsequently transferred to Abuja, where she was arraigned before a Magistrate’s Court and granted bail. The human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, later publicised a confrontation at the Force Headquarters in Abuja related to the case, drawing national attention to the matter.

However, the minister said he has taken note of the allegations levelled against him by Ohiri and wondered why she quietly removed the videos.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, the minister said: “The Media Office of the Minister of Works, David Umahi, has taken note of recent developments surrounding the persistent allegations circulated by Mrs TracyNither Ohiri on social media.

“Within the last 24 hours, Ohiri has quietly removed all videos and posts she made and posted against the minister from her social media accounts, including TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. A routine review of these platforms clearly shows that the same materials previously used to accuse, ridicule, and defame the minister have now been deleted.”

According to the minister’s media aide, “this sudden cleanup follows the public exposure of several inconsistencies, ambiguities in her timelines, and discrepancies in the amounts stated in her claims.”

Faced with contradictions in her own narratives, she appears to have chosen deletion over explanation.

“These actions raise serious questions about the intent behind the allegations she promoted for years.”

MEANWHILE, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately institute an independent investigative panel into the escalating dispute between the Minister of Works, David Umahi, and a businesswoman, TracyNither Nicolas Ohiri, warning that the handling of the matter raises grave concerns about potential abuse of power and the perception of compromised law enforcement processes.

HURIWA, in its reaction, stated that while the minister is constitutionally presumed innocent until proven otherwise, the gravity of the allegations, coupled with the involvement of law enforcement authorities, demands an investigative mechanism that is demonstrably independent of political influence. The association argued that when allegations involve a serving cabinet member, particularly claims touching on financial transactions, sexual harassment, and the use of police processes against an accuser, public confidence requires more than a routine police investigation.

The association further anchored its position on Section 15(5) of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates the state to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power, as well as Section 17(2)(a), which guarantees equality before the law. It also cited Section 36(1), which enshrines the right to fair hearing by an impartial tribunal, arguing that the spirit of these provisions requires that justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done, particularly where political power intersects with criminal process. (Guardian)