Presidency Disputes Duke's Claims on Lagos-Calabar Highway

The Presidency responded to former Rivers State Governor Donald Duke's assertion that the ongoing Lagos-Calabar highway project is a misplaced priority. Duke, the presidential candidate of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), expressed his concerns during an Arise News programme, questioning the economic and engineering feasibility of constructing a 750-kilometre coastal highway.

He claimed that the project would not extend beyond Epe in Lagos State and highlighted the challenges posed by swamps in Bayelsa, suggesting that numerous bridges would be necessary. Duke argued that the Bola Tinubu administration should focus on rehabilitating existing infrastructure rather than pursuing a new coastal route, stating, “If the road is poor, fix it.” In response, Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, refuted Duke's claims via a post on his X handle, asserting that the project has already reached Ogun State and that work is ongoing in the Ondo and Akwa Ibom sections.