By Kingston Magare 15.10.2026
Former Cross River State governor and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate in the 2027 election, Donald Duke, has berated incumbent Bayelsa State governor Douye Diri for kicking against his criticism of the Lagos-Calabar highway.
Duke had argued that the project was a waste of public funds as it was not feasible to construct the highway in the difficult Niger Delta terrain. Diri slammed Mr. Duke’s pessimism saying he was out of touch with modern realities.
“Clearly, he is not abreast of current developments in road construction and infrastructure development in our state,” Diri said.
Responding Duke said Diri was looking at what Bayelsa might benefit and not how the project would affect Nigeria as a whole.
“And the governor of Bayelsa, I think he’s just being a local champion,” Duke said during an Arise TV appearance.
“I’m from the South-South. I’m a Nigerian. South-South just happens to be where I originated from. But I’m looking at the totality of Nigeria.
“It’s just not feasible. We don’t have the kind of money to do it. We’re literally borrowing to even stretch Epe stretch. We’re borrowing. We can’t do it.”