Donald Duke To Gov Diri: You’re A Local Champion Over Coastal Highway Opposition

Former Cross River State Governor and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate, Donald Duke, has described Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri as a “local champion” following a disagreement over the feasibility of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.

Duke made the remark during an interview on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Thursday, insisting that the proposed highway was financially impractical and posed significant engineering challenges because of the terrain it would traverse.

The former governor had earlier questioned the feasibility of constructing the road through Bayelsa State, citing its swampy terrain and the enormous cost of the project.

His position drew criticism from Diri, who expressed disappointment over Duke’s comments, arguing that the former governor was not adequately informed about developments in road construction and infrastructure in Bayelsa.

In a statement issued through his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, Diri maintained that his administration had successfully constructed roads and bridges across swampy areas and mangrove forests in the state.

‎“Clearly, he is not abreast of current developments in road construction and infrastructure development in our state,” Diri said.

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‎‎Responding to the governor’s criticism, Duke dismissed Diri’s position, arguing that the Bayelsa governor was approaching the issue from a narrow, state-centred perspective rather than considering the broader economic implications for Nigeria.

‎“And the governor of Bayelsa, if he did say so, I don’t know the fellow, but if he did say so, I think he’s just being a local champion,” Duke said.

‎He stressed that although he hailed from the South-South region, his assessment of the project was based on national interest rather than regional considerations.

‎“I’m from the South-South. I’m a Nigerian. South-South just happens to be where I originated from. But I’m looking at the totality of Nigeria,” he added.

‎Duke further argued that Nigeria lacked the financial capacity to execute the coastal highway project, noting that the government was already relying on borrowing to finance infrastructure development.

According to him, the cost of the project raises serious questions about its economic viability, particularly amid the country’s financial constraints.

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‎“It’s just not feasible. We don’t have the kind of money to do it. We’re literally borrowing to even stretch Epe stretch. We’re borrowing. We can’t do it,” he said.

<‎The PRP presidential candidate also questioned the decision to divert a section of the coastal highway towards the East-West Road, asking whether the existing highway had been adequately considered during the initial planning of the project.

“Now, they have said that they’re going to divert the road onto the East-West Highway. Weren’t they aware of the East-West Highway from get-go?” Duke asked.

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is a major infrastructure project designed to connect Lagos with Calabar, the capital of Cross River State. The debate over its cost, route and feasibility has continued to generate discussions among political leaders and other stakeholders.