Afenifere Demands Impeachment of President Tinubu Over Lagos-Calabar Highway Conflict
The pan-Yoruba socio-political group Afenifere has called on the National Assembly to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Bola Tinubu, accusing him of a glaring conflict of interest in the award of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway contract.
Oba Oladipo Olaitan, Afenifere’s leader, voiced sharp criticism following President Tinubu’s recent public statement that the contractor overseeing the project, Gilbert Chagoury, is his partner. This declaration came during the inauguration of Kilometer, Phase 1, Section 1 of the highway.
“All President Tinubu is doing is building a road to his own Atlantic City,” Olaitan told PUNCH. “He openly said the contractor is his partner. That means he awarded a federal contract to himself.”
Olaitan further questioned the decision to commission only a small four percent section of the highway, which directly leads to the privately developed Eko Atlantic City — a real estate project by the Chagoury Group. He warned that once this segment is completed, the rest of the coastal highway might be abandoned, highlighting a clear conflict of interest.
“The National Assembly must prove it is not complicit. If truly independent, they must act now. We cannot condone this breach of public trust,” Olaitan insisted. He urged lawmakers to begin impeachment proceedings immediately to uphold democratic integrity.
the media revealed that the contract was awarded without competitive bidding, in violation of Nigeria’s Public Procurement Act and Environmental Impact Assessment Act. The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, valued at N15 trillion, stretches 700 kilometers across nine coastal states, including Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River.
During the inauguration, President Tinubu lauded Hitech Construction Company — a Chagoury Group subsidiary — calling their work a “symbol of courage and commitment.” He hailed his partnership with the contractor as a bold effort to “tame the Atlantic.”
The controversy has sparked widespread calls for accountability and transparency, putting the project and the presidency under intense scrutiny.
