Mischievous Deceit” — Presidency Responds To Peter Obi Over Asaba–Benin Highway Project

The Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, dismissed Obi’s position that the federal government should prioritize the rehabilitation of existing roads over the initiation of new infrastructure projects. He faulted the remarks, describing them as misleading and inconsistent with ongoing developments in the sector.

Obi had earlier argued that Nigeria’s limited resources should be directed towards fixing already deteriorated major highways instead of embarking on fresh projects that, in his view, may not deliver immediate impact. In a statement titled “My Stance on Road Development” shared via his X handle, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate specifically highlighted the Asaba–Benin Road as a critical transport corridor linking several regions, including the South-East, South-South, and parts of the North-Central to Lagos.

Reacting to the submission, Olusegun questioned the intent behind Obi’s remarks, alleging that the former governor was aware that rehabilitation work was already ongoing on the said highway. He stated that the 125km Asaba–Benin Highway reconstruction was officially flagged off in March 2025 and is expected to be completed by September 2027.

He further explained that the project is being financed under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement and will feature a 10-lane carriageway, designed to improve traffic efficiency between King Square and the Benin bypass.

Olusegun added that the Tinubu administration is currently executing over 70 federal highway and strategic infrastructure projects across the country, spanning all 36 states. According to him, these include major legacy corridors, superhighways, and bridge rehabilitation works.

Among the projects listed are the Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano Dual Carriageway, Kano–Kongolam Road, Ibadan–Ife–Ilesa Road, Sokoto–Gusau–Funtua–Zaria Road, Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway, Benin–Asaba Superhighway, Keffi–Nasarawa–Toto–Abaji Road Phase II, Enugu–Onitsha Expressway, and the Calabar–Ebonyi–Benue Trans-Saharan Superhighway.

He maintained that the administration remains committed to simultaneous nationwide infrastructure renewal aimed at improving connectivity and economic growth across all regions.