Atiku Abubakar, the former Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has issued a challenge to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging him to reveal the complete financial details of the Lagos-Calabar highway project.
In a statement released yesterday, Atiku emphasized the need for transparency regarding the cost of the project, especially considering Nigeria’s ongoing economic challenges. Atiku, through his media adviser Paul Ibe, raised concerns about the lack of competitive bidding in awarding the contract to Gilbert Chagoury’s Hitech by the Tinubu administration.
The Presidency swiftly responded, accusing Atiku of spreading misinformation about the project. In a counter statement, Atiku, through his special assistant on public communication, Phrank Shaibu, questioned the release of N1.06 trillion for the initial phase of the project, which covers just 47km from Eko Atlantic to the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
Atiku’s statement posed several critical questions to the Tinubu administration regarding the project’s financing, implementation, and procurement processes. He demanded clarification on the total project cost, the funding structure, the choice of starting point, the absence of National Assembly approval for the allocated funds, and the lack of competitive bidding.
Furthermore, Atiku questioned how the Tinubu administration managed to acquire the project’s design and right of way within a short period, despite claims that previous administrations did not engage with the project.
Atiku urged the Tinubu administration to respond to each inquiry transparently, invoking the principles of the Freedom of Information Act. He criticized the administration’s tendency to resort to insults rather than providing substantive answers to public queries.