TINUBU’S AIDE DISMISSES DONALD DUKE’S CRITICISM OF LAGOS-CALABAR COASTAL HIGHWAY
Read Time:1 Minute, 27 Second
By; Sunmola Ganiyat
Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, has rejected former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke’s criticism of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, insisting that construction has progressed beyond Lagos State.
Ajayi’s response followed comments made by the Peoples Redemption Party’s 2027 presidential candidate during an interview on Arise News, where Duke questioned the viability and cost of the multi-trillion-naira project.
Duke argued that Nigeria could not afford the estimated ₦15 trillion coastal highway, suggesting the funds would be better invested in critical sectors such as electricity and healthcare.
He also claimed the project was unlikely to extend beyond the Epe axis of Lagos State, noting that an existing road already connects Lagos to Calabar and could instead be rehabilitated.
The former governor further expressed concerns over the engineering challenges of constructing a highway through swampy areas, particularly in Bayelsa State, and criticised the Federal Government’s borrowing strategy and what he described as misplaced spending priorities.
Duke also called for major governance reforms, including restructuring the country and reducing the cost of governance by scrapping the House of Representatives in favour of a unicameral National Assembly.
Reacting in a post on his X account on Wednesday, Ajayi dismissed Duke’s claims, describing them as politically motivated and inconsistent with the realities on the ground.
According to the presidential aide, construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway has already extended into Ogun State, with work also ongoing on sections of the project in Ondo and Akwa Ibom states.
Ajayi maintained that assertions that the road would end in Epe were inaccurate, insisting that the project is progressing as planned beyond Lagos and into other states along the coastal corridor.
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