Bad Politics Behind Duke’s Criticism Of Coastal Highway — Presidency

The Presidency has dismissed criticism of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway by former Cross River State governor and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate, Donald Duke, describing his comments as being driven by “bad politics.”

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Tope Ajayi, said Duke’s remarks were contrary to the realities on the ground, insisting that construction on the project had already extended beyond Lagos State.

Ajayi was reacting to comments made by Duke during an interview on Arise Television in which the former governor expressed doubts about the flagship infrastructure project, claiming it would not extend beyond Lagos State and describing it as a misplaced priority.

Responding in a post on his verified X handle, @TheTope_Ajayi, on Wednesday, Ajayi said political considerations were pushing some opposition figures into making claims they neither believed nor could substantiate.

“Politics makes a lot of people say loads of what they don’t mean or believe in. They just talk for the sake of talking or because of bad politics. There is actually no sense in arguing against reality,” he said.

The presidential aide also criticised Duke’s political ambition, describing the Peoples Redemption Party as “an unviable political platform,” while accusing the former governor of joining critics of the coastal highway project without acknowledging developments already recorded on the ground.

According to Ajayi, contrary to Duke’s assertion that the highway would not progress beyond Epe in Lagos State, construction has already advanced into neighbouring Ogun State, while work is simultaneously ongoing on sections of the road in Ondo and Akwa Ibom states.

“While Duke was talking on TV that the Coastal Highway won’t go beyond Epe, the project has reached Ogun State, and work is going on on the Ondo and Akwa-Ibom states sections of the Coastal road,” Ajayi stated