Umahi Defends Coastal Highway Route Amid Atiku Transparency Demands

Minister of Works David Umahi defended the realignment of the Ondo section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, stating the change was necessary due to difficult terrain and deep pits. Speaking in Abuja, Umahi dismissed claims that the project had been abandoned or diverted, characterizing the 750-kilometre road as President Bola Tinubu's first legacy project. He reported that Section One is complete and Section Two should be finished by mid-November, while also proposing the integration of 400 kilometres of the East-West Road to mitigate flooding in Delta and Edo states.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar challenged the government to provide a full financial accounting of the project, demanding the publication of original engineering studies and revised designs. Atiku alleged that the administration intends to seek a $20 billion loan from the National Assembly to fund payments to Hitech Construction Company, claiming some lawmakers are being pressured to approve the request under threat of losing campaign funds.

Parallel to the infrastructure dispute, a political clash erupted over economic policy. Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President, defended Tinubu's academic credentials and dismissed Atiku's economic proposals as a fantasy after Atiku called the president a dull student. This exchange followed a government announcement of a 30-day fuel price discount at NNPC filling stations, which Atiku claimed was a copy of his own production subsidy proposal.