By: Odeh Favour
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has raised strong concerns over the estimated N15 trillion cost of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, calling on Nigerians to demand strict accountability from the Federal Government.
Falana made the remarks during a public event captured in a video shared by News Central TV on Monday, where he questioned reported changes to the highway’s route as well as its overall funding structure.
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is a flagship infrastructure project of the President Bola Tinubu administration, designed to link Lagos State with Calabar in Cross River State along Nigeria’s southern coastline. Estimated to cost about N15tn upon completion, the multi-trillion naira project has continued to spark public debate regarding its execution, route, and financial transparency.
Expressing concern over why a project initially conceived as a coastal route is reportedly being extended inland, the senior lawyer urged the government to clearly explain how public funds earmarked for the project will be spent.
“The road, coastal road has now become land road, I’m sure you are aware. What I’m saying is that, after Ogun State, they now said they are going from Edo to go by land, because they can’t fund it. Again, we must now ask questions: What are the 15 trillion naira earmarked for that road?” Falana queried.
He stressed that citizens hold a civic responsibility to hold public officers accountable, noting that a lack of public scrutiny allows government actors to operate without proper oversight.
“And that is the only way we can get these people to be accountable,” he added.
Beyond the infrastructure debate, Falana issued a stern warning to political parties and candidates, particularly in Lagos State, against election violence, ethnic profiling, and voter suppression ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Drawing lessons from previous electoral cycles, he warned that violence could be deployed to intimidate eligible voters and prevent them from exercising their constitutional franchise.
“Let me now warn the candidates: Going by what happened during the last election, violence will be introduced. Many people will not be allowed to vote, unless you guys are ready to form, regardless of your political parties, to form a group that will defend the vote of everybody in Lagos,” he cautioned.
Falana further admonished political figures against using ethnic identity to intimidate voters, specifically referencing individuals perceived as non-Yoruba in Lagos State. He insisted that democratic participation must never be restricted by ethnic background or physical appearance.
“We didn’t fight for this rickety democracy, that somebody will look at your face: ‘Oh, you should not vote in this country,’” he stated.
He urged candidates across all political divides to collaborate and safeguard the electoral rights of all residents.
“And I want to beg you, if you are ready to defend the vote of everybody, and it’s very important, because those who cannot win elections, resort to violence, thuggery, where you come from, that you don’t look like a Yoruba man, therefore you must not vote. In Lagos, in Nigeria, that must not be allowed,” Falana stated.
