PRP Chieftain Faults Donald Duke Over Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Comment

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project has been at the center of controversy following comments made by Donald Duke, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP). In a statement issued on Sunday, Yakubu Kingsley, a chieftain of the PRP, has come to the defense of the project, faulting Duke's comments as misplaced.

Kingsley, who is currently challenging Duke in court over the May 25 primary that produced him as the party's presidential candidate, said that opposition politics should be rooted in constructive criticism, objectivity, and the presentation of alternative solutions rather than the wholesale rejection of government policies and projects.

In a sharp rebuke of Duke, Kingsley said, 'Opposition politics must be founded on constructive criticism, objectivity and alternative solutions, rather than an indiscriminate campaign to run down governments simply because they are in power.'

As an engineer and highway engineer, Kingsley said that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project had significant potential to improve transportation and economic connectivity along Nigeria's coastline. He commended the Federal Government for the project's 'broad project scoping, strategic corridor alignment and the engineering concept underpinning the development.'

Kingsley highlighted the project's potential to contribute to inter-city and regional connectivity, reduce travel distances and travel time, improve freight movement, and stimulate economic activities. He also noted that the project could facilitate the integration of coastal communities and support tourism, logistics, industrial development, and the emergence of new economic corridors.

Kingsley, however, acknowledged the need for scrutiny of the project, particularly concerning its cost, financing, procurement, environmental impact, right-of-way management, construction methodology, quality control, value for money, and long-term maintenance.

Duke, in his comments, had described the coastal highway as a 'misplaced priority' of the Federal Government. However, Kingsley faulted this view, saying that it was essential to recognize the project's potential benefits while pointing out areas requiring improvement.

Kingsley urged PRP candidates contesting governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives, and state House of Assembly seats in 2027 to focus their campaigns on issues and present clear alternatives to voters. He stressed that this approach would enable them to demonstrate how their programs would improve security, education, healthcare, agriculture, employment, infrastructure, industrialization, social welfare, and the overall wellbeing of citizens within their respective jurisdictions.