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Ben Murray-Bruce has accused PRP presidential candidate Donald Duke of allowing his 2027 ambition to influence his criticism of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
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Murray-Bruce says President Bola Tinubu is keeping his funding commitment to the project, insisting there is no funding shortfall and construction is progressing.
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Duke insists Nigeria cannot afford the highway, arguing that the government is already borrowing to execute the Epe section and questioning the project’s priority amid economic pressures.
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The former senator also defended Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri after Duke described him as a “local champion” for backing the highway and challenging concerns over its construction through swampy terrain.
October 16, (THEWILL) – Former Senator representing Bayelsa East, Ben Murray-Bruce, has accused former Cross River State Governor and the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate, Donald Duke, of allowing political considerations to influence his criticism of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
Murray-Bruce, in an X post on Friday, said he was surprised by Duke’s recent opposition to the project, recalling that the two men had previously travelled along the coastline where the highway is now being constructed and that Duke had praised the vision behind it.
He also defended President Bola Tinubu’s decision to proceed with the project, insisting that the Federal Government had the resources required to continue construction and that there was no funding shortfall.
The intervention came after Duke questioned the feasibility of extending the coastal highway beyond Epe, Lagos, arguing that Nigeria’s current financial situation could not support the massive infrastructure project.
Duke, who is seeking the presidency on the PRP platform in 2027, also criticised the government’s spending priorities, saying scarce public resources should be deployed to projects that better reflect the country’s economic realities.
But Murray-Bruce dismissed the argument, saying expensive infrastructure should be assessed against its long-term benefits rather than its immediate cost.
“My dear brother Donald Duke, some years ago, you and I travelled along the stretch of the coastline where this road now runs, and I clearly remember your praise for the vision behind it. That is why your recent comments surprised me.
“Yes, the Coastal Highway is expensive. We agree on that. But nothing of lasting value in this world is cheap or free. Great nations are built by leaders willing to make bold, costly investments that will serve generations yet unborn”, Murray-Bruce said.
‘No Funding Shortfall’
Murray-Bruce specifically rejected Duke’s claim that Nigeria lacks the financial capacity to complete the highway, saying Tinubu had made a commitment to fund the project and was honouring it.
“Mr President committed to funding this project, and he is keeping that commitment. There is no funding shortfall. The work is progressing, and the quality of construction is second to none”, he said.
The former senator’s defence also extended to the quality of the project, which has faced public scrutiny over its cost, construction methods, route and financing.
He argued that the highway represented the type of ambitious infrastructure investment capable of serving Nigerians for generations.
Murray-Bruce further cited Diri’s support for the project, rejecting Duke’s description of the Bayelsa governor as a “local champion.”
“When Governor Douye Diri commended the road, he was not speaking as a local champion; he was speaking as a statesman who recognises infrastructure of international standard when he sees it. I agree with him completely”, he said.
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Duke: ‘We Can’t Do It’
Duke had expressed his opposition to the project during an appearance on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Thursday, October 15.
The former Cross River governor questioned whether the Federal Government could realistically finance the entire coastal corridor, arguing that Nigeria was already borrowing to construct the existing section between Lagos and Epe.
“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”, Duke said.
He argued that the government should reconsider projects that place additional pressure on public finances and questioned the decision to proceed with the coastal highway when other infrastructure needs remained unmet.
Duke also raised questions over plans to connect or divert part of the coastal highway to the existing East-West Road.
“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 the get-go?” he asked.
Duke Attacks Diri’s Defence
The disagreement became more contentious after Diri criticised Duke’s assessment of the challenges of constructing the highway through Bayelsa.
Duke had questioned the feasibility of building the road across the state’s swampy and mangrove terrain.
Diri, through his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, responded that Duke was not sufficiently familiar with recent infrastructure development in Bayelsa.
“Clearly, he is not abreast of current developments in road construction and infrastructure development in our state”, Diri said.
The governor’s position was that the difficult terrain in Bayelsa did not make major road infrastructure impossible, noting that his administration had undertaken road and bridge projects across swamp and mangrove areas.
Duke subsequently dismissed Diri’s intervention during his Arise Television interview.
“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 added.
He insisted that his South-South origin did not mean he would support a project simply because it was expected to benefit the region.
“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 stated.
‘Your Statement Is Political’
Murray-Bruce, however, interpreted Duke’s criticism partly through the prism of the 2027 presidential contest.
While acknowledging Duke’s right to oppose government policies and make his case to Nigerians, the former senator warned against allowing political competition to undermine projects he described as being of national importance.
“Donald, I understand that you are running for president, and that your statement is political. That is the nature of the season, and I respect your right to make your case to Nigerians. But we must be careful never to undermine a project of national importance, or the President delivering it, simply for political advantage,” he said.
Murray-Bruce also used the history of the United States’ space programme to illustrate his argument that transformational national projects often require huge financial commitments.
“When mankind went to the moon, it was neither cheap nor free. But it was necessary. So is this road”, he said.
Background
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is one of the major infrastructure projects being pursued by the Tinubu administration. The planned highway is designed to connect Lagos with Calabar in Cross River State through Nigeria’s coastal corridor, linking several states along the country’s southern coastline.
The Federal Government has presented the project as a strategic economic corridor that will improve connectivity, facilitate movement of people and goods, open up coastal communities and stimulate commercial and tourism activities.
However, the highway has also generated controversy over its cost, funding arrangements, route alignment, land acquisition and the government’s decision to commit significant resources to it amid broader economic difficulties.
Questions over the project have become particularly sensitive as Nigeria grapples with competing infrastructure needs, debt obligations and pressure on government revenue.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
