Former Cross River State Governor and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate, Donald Duke, has described Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri as a “local champion” over his defence of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.

Duke made the remark during an interview on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Thursday, maintaining that the proposed highway was financially impractical and posed significant construction challenges because of the terrain along its route.

The exchange followed Diri’s criticism of Duke’s earlier position that constructing the highway through Bayelsa State would be impracticable because of its swampy landscape.

Through his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, the Bayelsa governor had faulted Duke’s assessment, arguing that it failed to account for the state’s progress in infrastructure development, including the construction of roads and bridges across swampy and mangrove areas.

Diri maintained that Duke was not sufficiently informed about recent developments in road construction and infrastructure delivery in the state.

However, responding to the governor’s position, Duke argued that the project should be assessed from a broader national perspective rather than through the interests of an individual state.

“I think he’s just being a local champion,” the PRP presidential candidate said, referring to Diri.

Duke stressed that his South-South origin did not limit his ability to evaluate projects based on their implications for the country as a whole.

He also questioned the financial sustainability of the coastal highway, arguing that Nigeria lacked the resources required to execute the project without further stretching its borrowing capacity.

According to him, the government was already relying on loans to finance infrastructure development, raising concerns about its ability to fund the coastal road.

“It’s just not feasible. We don’t have the kind of money to do it,” Duke said, adding that the country was borrowing to finance ongoing road projects.

The former governor also questioned the decision to redirect part of the coastal highway towards the East-West Road, asking whether the existing highway had been adequately considered during the initial planning stages.

“Weren’t they aware of the East-West Highway from get-go?” he asked.

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, a major federal infrastructure project, has generated public debate over its cost, construction plans, environmental implications and route.

Duke’s comments highlight the continuing disagreement over the project’s feasibility, while Diri’s response points to the potential for road construction in difficult terrain, drawing on Bayelsa’s infrastructure experience.