A faction within the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has demanded that the National Assembly initiate impeachment proceedings against President Bola Tinubu, citing alleged conflict of interest surrounding the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.
The group’s leader, Oba Oladipo Olaitan, voiced strong criticism during an interview with DAILY GAZETTE on Saturday expressing disapproval over Tinubu’s public remarks in which he referred to Gilbert Chagoury—the head of Hitech Construction, the firm executing the project—as his “partner.”
During the commissioning of Phase 1, Section 1 of the 30-kilometre highway last Saturday, Tinubu had praised the contractor, stating, “To the contractors and my partner in daring, it was tough for us… We came together to tame the Atlantic.”
He described the project as a “symbol of courage and commitment.”
Hitech Construction, a subsidiary of the Chagoury Group, is also the developer behind Eko Atlantic City—an upscale real estate venture established on reclaimed land from the Atlantic Ocean.
Reacting to the president’s comments, Oba Olaitan alleged a clear breach of ethical standards.
“All President Tinubu is doing is building a road to his own Atlantic City. He openly said the contractor is his partner. That means he awarded a federal contract to himself,” he stated.
He continued, “That 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.”
Oba Olaitan further questioned the partial nature of the road’s launch, suggesting that the limited segment might be the only portion completed, primarily because it serves the interests of a private development.
“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. This is a clear conflict of interest,” he maintained.
Calling for decisive action, the Afenifere factional head declared, “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 added, “I am calling on the National Assembly to start the impeachment process now if they are a truly independent and vibrant national assembly and if they are not equally complicit. We can’t condone such a thing.”
In response, the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress dismissed the calls as baseless and politically motivated.
Spokesperson Seye Oladejo described the allegations as a serious misinterpretation of the President’s remarks.
“I will just regard that as a joke taken too far. Maybe they need to consult their dictionary to understand what ‘partner’ means.”
“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 further asserted that the contract was lawfully awarded, saying, “Relevant authorities handled the contract process. If there’s any issue, it should be addressed through the appropriate channels, not through calls for impeachment.”
