By Kingston Magare 16.10.2026
Former Senator who represented Bayelsa East in the National Assembly 2015-2019, Ben Murray-Bruce said former Cross River State governor Donald Duke was wrong to have labeled Bayelsa State governor Diri Douye a “local champion.”
Duke who is the Peoples Redemption Party presidential candidate in the 2027 election had been in a verbal match up with governor Douye over the construction of the controversial Lagos-Calabar highway. While Duke described the project as a waste of public funds, Douye stated that Duke was out of touch with modern realities.
Weighing in on the discussion on Friday, Ben Bruce a friend of Duke sided with the Bayelsa State governor.
“My dear brother Donald Duke, some years ago, you and I travelled along the stretch of the coastline where this road now runs, and I clearly remember your praise for the vision behind it. That is why your recent comments surprised me,” Ben Bruce wrote on X.
“Yes, the Coastal Highway is expensive. We agree on that. But nothing of lasting value in this world is cheap or free. Great nations are built by leaders willing to make bold, costly investments that will serve generations yet unborn.
“There is no funding shortfall. The work is progressing, and the quality of construction is second to none.
“When Governor Douye Diri commended the road, he was not speaking as a local champion; he was speaking as a statesman who recognises infrastructure of international standard when he sees it. I agree with him completely.”
Ben Bruce accused Duke of making a politica statement.
“Donald, I understand that you are running for president, and that your statement is political. That is the nature of the season, and I respect your right to make your case to Nigerians. But we must be careful never to undermine a project of national importance, or the President delivering it, simply for political advantage,” he said.
Donald Duke and Ben Bruce touring the Lagos-Calabar Highway...what changed for Mr Duke?