‘Local Champion’ – Donald Duke Replies Gov Diri Over Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road
Former Cross River State Governor and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate, Donald Duke, has responded to Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri’s defence of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
The exchange follows Duke’s earlier description of the project as “unbuildable” and Diri’s strong rebuttal.
Background
In an interview on Arise Television, Duke argued that constructing the 750-kilometre coastal highway through Bayelsa’s swampy terrain would be extremely difficult.
He said: “The Lagos-Calabar Road is unbuildable. You cannot even go through Bayelsa. Bayelsa is swamp. Even Yenagoa, the capital, is swamp. You will probably have to build about 100 or 200 bridges to go through those swamps.”
Duke also maintained that Nigeria cannot afford the project and should instead rehabilitate the existing road linking Lagos to Calabar.
Governor Diri’s Rebuttal
Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri, through his Chief Press Secretary Daniel Alabrah, expressed disappointment with Duke’s comments.
Diri said the former governor’s view was outdated and politically motivated. He listed major infrastructure projects his administration has completed in similar swampy and mangrove environments, including the Nembe-Brass Road, Sagbama-Ekeremor-Agge Road, Yenagoa-Oporoma Road, and the 630-metre bridge across the River Nun at Angiama.
“Yenagoa is not what Duke described it. So, he is wrong. The Lagos-Calabar coastal road is buildable and possible,” Diri stated, adding that the project is vital for the development of coastal communities and has long been a priority for the Ijaw people.
Duke’s Reply
Duke has since replied to Diri’s statement, referring to the Bayelsa governor in terms that include the phrase “local champion” while standing by his earlier position on the technical and financial challenges of the coastal highway.
The back-and-forth highlights the continuing debate over the feasibility, cost and prioritisation of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, one of the flagship infrastructure projects of the Tinubu administration
Sources:
Arise Television interview with Donald Duke; statement by Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri via Daniel Alabrah; related national media reports, October 2026.
