A faction of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has called on the National Assembly to begin impeachment proceedings against President Bola Tinubu over alleged conflict of interest in the award of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway contract.
The demand follows President Tinubu’s public acknowledgement of his connection with Gilbert Chagoury, whose company, Hitech Construction, is handling the multibillion-naira project.
Chagoury is also a major stakeholder in Eko Atlantic City, a real estate development believed to benefit from the highway project.
Speaking on behalf of the faction, Oba Oladipo Olaitan, expressed strong disapproval of Tinubu’s remarks at the project’s inauguration, where the President referred to Chagoury as his “partner in daring.” Tinubu had said, “To the contractors and my partner in daring, it was tough for us… We came together to tame the Atlantic.”
Olaitan criticised the statement, describing it as a direct admission of a conflict of interest and suggesting the project was designed to serve private interests. “The road was not advertised for public bidding. It is a national shame. If we had a truly independent and vibrant National Assembly, they would have begun impeachment proceedings immediately,” he stated.
He also questioned the motive behind commissioning only a limited portion of the road, which leads directly to Eko Atlantic City. “Why commission just four per cent of the road? That road leads straight to their private development. If that part is done, they may abandon the rest,” he added.
Olaitan urged lawmakers to take immediate action, accusing the President of breaching public trust. “The National Assembly must prove that it is not complicit. If they are truly independent, they must act now. We cannot condone this. This is not how to run a democracy. The president has admitted to a breach of public trust,” he declared.
In response, the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) dismissed the impeachment call as baseless. APC spokesperson Seye Oladejo described the accusation as “a joke taken too far.” He argued that the President’s comments had been misrepresented, clarifying that Tinubu did not describe Chagoury as a business associate.
“Did he say business partner? He didn’t say they have any relationship or any incorporated firm where they both have shares. He called them ‘partners in daring’; people who believed in his vision and joined in pursuing it,” Oladejo explained.
He also asserted that due process was followed in awarding the highway contract. “Relevant authorities handled the contract process. If there’s any issue, it should be addressed through the appropriate channels, not through calls for impeachment,” he stated.
In a separate development, President Tinubu announced that previous development approvals granted on some parts of Lagos Island would be revoked. He further stated that going forward, any new building project on the Island must receive clearance from the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.
