Former Cross River Governor Donald Duke says Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri is a “local champion” after Diri challenged Duke’s criticism of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. Duke maintains that the project is not feasible, arguing that its high cost and the difficult terrain make it unrealistic. He made the comments during an interview on Arise Television’s The Morning Show, after responding to Diri’s objections.
Diri rejects Duke’s position, saying the highway can be built despite the Niger Delta’s swampy landscape. He points to infrastructure projects in Bayelsa where roads and bridges have been constructed across swamps and mangroves, and says Duke does not reflect recent developments in the state. Duke counters that Diri’s stance is narrowly focused on Bayelsa rather than the broader national context, and he adds that Nigeria lacks the financial capacity for the route, noting borrowing for other road works.
The exchange also includes Duke questioning a reported proposal to divert part of the coastal road onto the East–West Highway, asking why that corridor was not fully considered in the original plans.
