Falana Questions ₦15tn Coastal Highway Cost, Warns Against Voter Suppression

Human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, has questioned the estimated ₦15 trillion cost of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, urging Nigerians to demand greater accountability from the Federal Government over the project.

Falana also warned political parties and candidates in Lagos State against electoral violence and voter suppression ahead of the 2027 general elections, calling for a united effort to protect the voting rights of all eligible citizens.

He made the remarks at a public event in a video shared by News Central TV on Monday, where he expressed concern about reported changes to the highway’s route and questions surrounding its funding.

Falana questioned why a project initially conceived as a coastal highway was reportedly being extended inland, asking the government to explain how the funds earmarked for its construction would be spent.

He noted that the route was reportedly expected to move inland after Ogun State, passing through Edo State rather than following the coastline as originally envisaged.

The lawyer said citizens had a responsibility to question public spending and demand explanations from government officials, arguing that effective scrutiny was necessary to promote accountability.

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is a major infrastructure project of the President Bola Tinubu administration, designed to connect Lagos with Calabar in Cross River State along Nigeria’s southern coastline. Its estimated cost of about ₦15 trillion has attracted public debate over the project’s price, route and funding.

Turning to the 2027 elections, Falana warned that violence could be used to prevent eligible voters from exercising their franchise, drawing attention to concerns arising from the previous election.

He urged candidates across political parties to form a common front to defend voters’ rights, irrespective of their political affiliations or ethnic backgrounds.

Falana cautioned against attempts to intimidate people perceived as non-indigenes or as belonging to ethnic groups other than Yoruba in Lagos, stressing that every eligible Nigerian had the right to vote.

He said political actors who lacked sufficient support could resort to violence and thuggery to influence electoral outcomes, warning that such practices must not be allowed to undermine democracy.

The senior advocate called on political stakeholders to cooperate in protecting polling units and ensuring that voters could participate freely without intimidation.

He maintained that defending the votes of all eligible citizens was essential to safeguarding democratic participation and preventing violence from determining electoral outcomes.