Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway: Ben Murray-Bruce Knocks Donald Duke Over ‘Political’ Criticism
LAGOS, NIGERIA — Senator Ben Murray-Bruce has openly challenged former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke over his recent critical remarks regarding the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.
In a public statement released on Friday, October 16, 2026, Murray-Bruce defended the landmark infrastructure initiative being executed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. He accused Duke, who is the presidential candidate of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), of playing politics with a project of national importance.
Murray-Bruce expressed surprise at Duke’s current opposition to the highway. He revealed that both of them had previously toured the coastline together, at which point Duke was full of praise for the project’s vision.
“Some years ago, you and I travelled along the stretch of the coastline where this road now runs, and I clearly remember your praise for the vision behind it,” Murray-Bruce stated, sharing visual evidence on social media to highlight what observers are calling a shifting stance by the former governor.
While acknowledging that the multi-billion-naira coastal highway comes with a hefty price tag, Murray-Bruce insisted that transformative national infrastructure requires heavy financial commitments.
“Yes, the Coastal Highway is expensive. We agree on that. But nothing of lasting value in this world is cheap or free,” he wrote, drawing a direct parallel to the United States’ historic Apollo space programme. “When mankind went to the moon, it was neither cheap nor free. But it was necessary. So is this road.”
He dismissed claims of a funding crisis, asserting that work on the highway is actively progressing with “second to none” construction quality.
Statesmanship vs. Politics
The “Common Sense” Senator also pushed back against critics of Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, who recently drew attention for commending the coastal road’s development. Murray-Bruce maintained that Diri spoke as a “statesman who recognises infrastructure of international standard” rather than a local champion.
Addressing Duke directly regarding his political ambitions, Murray-Bruce cautioned against sacrificing national development for electoral gains.
“Donald, I understand that you are running for president and that your statement is political… But we must be careful never to undermine a project of national importance or the President delivering it simply for political advantage,” he concluded.
Duke has recently taken his criticism of the coastal road project to overdrive. During recent television appearances, he described it as a “misplaced priority” and “unbuildable” due to the challenging terrain of the Niger Delta.
He specifically argued that traversing the swamps of Bayelsa would require constructing hundreds of bridges, questioned the nation’s financial capacity by predicting the road would stall past Epe, and dismissed Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri as a “local champion.
