By Clement Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded a comprehensive investigation into the controversies surrounding the ₦15 trillion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of violating statutory requirements for transparency, accountability and public procurement.
The PDP BoT, in a statement released on the party’s official X handle and signed by its Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, alleged that the Federal Government awarded and mobilised funds for the project without complying with critical legal and regulatory requirements.
The opposition party specifically alleged that the contract was awarded without an approved engineering design, environmental, economic and social impact assessments, an open and competitive bidding process, and the required appropriation by the National Assembly.
The board described the alleged violations as evidence of what it called a culture of arbitrariness in the management of national affairs by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration.
It also accused the government of disregarding the Public Procurement Act 2007 and other statutory frameworks governing the execution of public projects.
According to the statement, the Federal Government’s decision to realign sections of the highway with existing roads, citing climate change and other environmental concerns, further raised questions about the adequacy of the project’s original engineering design and environmental assessments.
“The Board holds that awarding the contract and mobilization of funds without National Assembly approval, due process and proper environmental impact assessment is a gross abuse of office and a huge indictment on the integrity of the APC administration,” the statement said.
The PDP BoT further criticised what it described as secrecy and a lack of public accountability in the handling of the project, insisting that the implementation of critical national infrastructure must be subject to public scrutiny and established legal procedures.
It argued that major infrastructure projects should not be executed through arbitrary directives, particularly at a time when Nigerians are grappling with severe economic hardship.
The board consequently called for a full investigation into the alleged violations surrounding the project, insisting that Nigerians deserved clarity on the circumstances surrounding its award and implementation.
“The secrecy, lack of public accountability and utter disregard for statutory frameworks are alarming and unacceptable in a democracy,” the statement added.
Precise Post recalls that the ₦15 trillion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is a major federal infrastructure project intended to connect coastal communities across several states. The PDP’s demands and allegations place renewed focus on questions surrounding the project’s procurement, financing, environmental compliance and legislative oversight.
