Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for an immediate suspension of payments on the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway and demanded an independent value-for-money audit of the controversial project, following recent revelations by the Minister of Works that the highway could cost nearly N8 billion per kilometre.
Alhaji Atiku, who had earlier raised concerns over the project’s financial structure and cost implications, said he has now been vindicated, citing the minister’s admission as proof of lack of transparency and due process in the award and execution of the contract.
A statement issued on Wednesday by Phrank Shaibu, Special Assistant on Public Communication to the former vice president, described the development as “a troubling confirmation of Atiku’s warnings” and called on the Tinubu administration to explain how a project it initially said was cost-efficient had ballooned to such proportions.
His words: “When the Tinubu administration unveiled the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar raised the alarm that the project’s cost was inflated to an outrageous N8 billion per kilometre.
“At the time, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, dismissed the claim. But the same minister has now admitted that the actual cost is, indeed, close to N8 billion per kilometre exactly what Atiku warned about, ”Shaibu recalled.
The former vice president had earlier criticised the coastal highway for what he described as an opaque financing model, which lacked clarity on cost-sharing between the federal government and contractors.
Shaibu further noted that Umahi’s own admission now raises “fundamental questions” about how the deal was structured, and who the actual financiers are, especially given that only 15–30 per cent of the estimated $11 billion project is to be covered by the federal government.
“Who are the actual financiers?What sovereign guarantees underpin this arrangement? How did a project initially presented as cost-efficient balloon to Atiku’s projected figure?, ” the statement asked.
The statement also added that the revelations only strengthen Atiku’s call for due process, competitive bidding, and full transparency in public infrastructure projects, especially those with far-reaching implications on national finances.
Shaibu outlined a set of demands to the federal government on behalf of the former vice president, including the immediate publication of the full contractual details, including financing terms and counterpart obligations;
He also demanded for an independent value-for-money audit of the Lagos–Calabar Highway project; suspension of all further payments until Nigerians are satisfied that the project genuinely serves the national interest.
“Nigerians deserve openness, not contradictions and concealed deals.
“Every inflated contract represents theft from the Nigerian people, ” the statement said.
It also described Atiku as a statesman acting out of patriotism, not politics, asserting that his consistent stance on transparency is in defence of public trust.
“Once again, Atiku has proven himself a statesman who speaks truth to power.
”He understands that transparency is not optional, it’s a responsibility owed to the people,” Shaibu added.
