Bayelsa Governor and Donald Duke Clash Over Coastal Highway

A dispute has emerged between Douye Diri, Governor of Bayelsa State, and former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke over the feasibility of the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. During an interview on Arise Television, Duke, a presidential candidate for the Peoples Redemption Party, claimed the project is unbuildable and financially unfeasible due to the swampy terrain of Bayelsa. He argued that the government should instead repair existing roads to Calabar.

Governor Diri rejected these claims, asserting that the road is buildable and citing his administration's successful construction of the Nembe-Brass and Yenagoa-Oporoma roads across mangroves. Diri suggested Duke's criticism is politically motivated and ignores the project's significance to the Ijaw ethnic nationality. Duke responded by calling Diri a local champion and later claimed vindication after Works Minister David Nweze Umahi acknowledged difficult ground conditions and ordered the redesign of certain sections.

Adding to the conflict, Abednego Don Evarada, Technical Adviser to the Bayelsa State Governor, criticized Duke for suggesting that difficult terrain justifies neglecting the Niger Delta. Evarada noted that the region provides the bulk of Nigeria's oil and gas revenue despite systemic neglect and environmental degradation. He called on the National Security Adviser to analyze Duke's comments, stating they have caused anger among local residents.