Project Realignment: Makinde’s campaign organisation demands audit of ₦15trn Lagos-Calabar highway

The Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation has demanded an independent audit of the ₦15 trillion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, accusing the federal government of failing to ensure transparency in the procurement and execution of the contract.

The organisation also called on the government to publish engineering assessments, alternative-route analyses, cost implications and details of payments made on the project following the announcement of a realignment of part of the highway in Ondo State.

Felix Hyat, director-general of the Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation, made the demands at a press conference on Tuesday.

Mr Makinde, who is the incumbent governor of Oyo State, is running for president on the platform of Allied People’s Movement (APM) in the 16 January election.

Mr Hyat questioned the circumstances surrounding the contract award in 2024 and the reasons for the route adjustment announced by the Minister of Works, David Umahi.

He said the realignment raised questions about the project’s initial planning, engineering assessments and the government’s handling of public funds.

“While we have nothing against the construction of roads in any part of the country, it is important to state that the afterthought realignment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is an admission of technical incompetence, failure of proper planning and gross underestimation of the project’s engineering challenges,” he said.

The campaign organisation also questioned the minister’s explanation that climate change and environmental challenges necessitated the route adjustment.

Mr Hyat alleged that the circumstances surrounding the realignment raised concerns about whether the necessary environmental impact assessment had been conducted before the project commenced.

He further questioned the procurement process, alleging that the contract was awarded without an approved engineering design, an open and competitive bidding process or budgetary provision and statutory appropriation by the National Assembly.

The allegations were made by the campaign organisation and were not independently established in its statement.

Questions over contract cost

The organisation said the government should explain whether the route adjustment would reduce the project’s overall cost and disclose how much had been spent so far.

It also raised concerns about the reported links between the contractor’s corporate group and a firm whose board allegedly includes individuals connected to the Presidency.

Mr Hyat said the circumstances warranted public disclosure of the procurement process, contractor selection, contract cost and safeguards established to protect public funds.

The organisation also alleged that the highway contract had, from inception, been designed as a conduit for financing the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s election expenses. It did not provide evidence to substantiate the allegation in its statement.

“We demand that the President Tinubu-led government should publish the relevant engineering assessment, alternative-route analysis, accompanying cost implications and comprehensive audit of the work and amount so far spent,” Mr Hyat said.

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is a major federal infrastructure project intended to connect Lagos with coastal communities across several southern states towards Calabar, Cross River State. The proposed route adjustment has renewed questions about the project’s planning, environmental considerations and financial implications.

The organisation said the highway contract should be assessed against the condition of existing federal roads, which it described as being in urgent need of rehabilitation.

It also linked the controversy to Nigeria’s broader economic challenges, citing rising food prices, transportation costs and healthcare expenses, as well as increased university tuition fees.

Makinde the alternative to Tinubu

Beyond the highway controversy, the organisation urged Nigerians to reject President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

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It called on voters to support Seyi Makinde, the presidential candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), describing him as an alternative to the incumbent.

The organisation said Mr Makinde’s proposed RESET Nigeria agenda offered a vision for national renewal and argued that his leadership could attract support across political parties and regions.

Mr Hyat said the future of Nigeria should take precedence over Mr Tinubu’s re-election ambition.

The campaign organisation’s demands include the immediate publication of procurement and payment records, an independent engineering assessment of the Ondo realignment and a comprehensive audit of the project’s expenditure and future execution plans.