APM Campaign Council Demands Full Disclosure of Coastal Road Contract Details

The Presidential Campaign Council of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has called on the Federal Government to publish procurement documents, contractor-selection records, contract costs and payment details for the ₦15 trillion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.

The demand follows renewed controversy over changes to the highway’s route in Ondo State, with the campaign organisation calling for an independent engineering assessment and a comprehensive audit of expenditure on the project.

Felix Hyat, Director-General of the Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation, made the demands during a press conference on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.

APM Questions Project Planning and Transparency

Hyat criticised the government’s handling of the project, arguing that the route changes raised questions about the adequacy of the original engineering assessments, project planning and procurement process.

He called on the Federal Government to publish engineering reports, alternative-route assessments, the financial implications of the changes and a breakdown of funds spent on the project so far.

The campaign organisation also questioned whether the revised route would reduce the overall contract cost and urged the government to explain how any savings would be calculated and accounted for.

Hyat said the public needed access to the relevant records to assess whether the project was being executed transparently and in the public interest.

Umahi Defends Route Change

The demand followed comments by Minister of Works David Umahi, who defended the decision to change the route of the highway in Ondo State.

Umahi said the original alignment crossed terrain containing pits more than 100 metres deep, with suitable sharp sand reportedly unavailable in some locations at depths of up to 300 metres. He argued that proceeding with the original route would have substantially increased construction costs.

The minister maintained that the decision was informed by engineering considerations and the need to ensure value for public funds.

He also said the government intended to use the existing East-West Road for the stretch from Ondo into Edo State rather than construct a new alignment along that corridor.

The route change has drawn criticism from political groups and community representatives, who have called for greater transparency and an independent assessment of its implications.

Campaign Organisation Raises Procurement Concerns

The APM campaign organisation questioned the circumstances surrounding the award of the contract in 2024 and raised concerns about possible conflicts of interest involving the contractor’s corporate group and individuals it alleged were connected to the Presidency.

It called for the disclosure of the procurement process, contractor-selection criteria and relevant payment records.

The organisation also alleged that the project may have proceeded without the required statutory environmental impact assessment. That claim has not been established as a finding by a court or regulatory authority in the reports reviewed.

The campaign council argued that the government should make the relevant environmental and engineering documents available so the public can assess the basis for the original route and subsequent changes.

Calls for an Independent Audit

Hyat urged the Federal Government to commission a comprehensive audit covering the project’s total cost, payments made, work completed and remaining construction commitments.

The organisation said the route change made it particularly important to explain whether the original contract sum would be adjusted and how the government intended to account for any differences in cost.

It also called for the publication of the project’s revised execution plan, including details of the work to be undertaken along the alternative route.

The campaign organisation said transparency was necessary to demonstrate that public funds were being used appropriately, particularly amid rising living costs and competing demands on government spending.

Government Yet to Address All Demands

The Federal Government has defended the route change on engineering and cost grounds. However, the campaign organisation’s demands for comprehensive procurement and payment records, as well as an independent audit, concern the broader financial and administrative handling of the project.

The ₦15 trillion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is one of the Federal Government’s major infrastructure projects. The dispute over its Ondo section has intensified calls from political groups and other stakeholders for greater disclosure of the decisions, costs and assessments underpinning its construction.

The allegations raised by the APM campaign organisation remain its claims and should be distinguished from independently verified findings about the project.