The Ondo East/West House of Representatives candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Hon. Niyi Akingunola, has accused the Minister of Works, David Umahi, of violating the Appropriation Act and Public Procurement Act over the diversion of the Ondo Coastal Highway from its original route.

Akingunola described the alleged diversion as a serious breach of due process, insisting that the project must follow its original design unless any proposed modification complies with the relevant constitutional and regulatory procedures.

In a statement personally signed by him, the ADC candidate faulted the decision to alter the highway's route away from Ondo State midway through project implementation.

He argued that changing the project's design and cost without recourse to the National Assembly, which approved the original budget, amounted to shifting the goalposts in the middle of a game.

According to him, the original design passed through the necessary appropriation and procurement processes, leading to the issuance of a certificate of no objection by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and final budget approval by the National Assembly.

He maintained that any alteration to the approved project must follow the same constitutional and regulatory procedures that guided its initial approval.

Akingunola said the documents supporting the original route included the Bill of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation (BEME), Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and cost estimate.

He questioned Umahi's reported concerns about the original route, arguing that the minister should not disown or challenge regulatory documents produced under his supervision without following the appropriate procedures.

"The basis for the issuance of certificate of no objection by the Bureau of Public Procurement for the Coastal Highway were valid Bill of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation (BEME), Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and cost estimate (CE)," he said.

He added that any proposed modification should be backed by a fresh BEME, EIA and cost estimate, which must be submitted to the BPP for onward transmission to the National Assembly for reappropriation.

"Anything short of this is in its entirety a breach of the Appropriation Act and extant procurement regulations," he said.

The ADC candidate called on Ondo State indigenes and members of the National Assembly to demand strict adherence to the rule of law, stressing that the state's interests must be protected in the implementation of the coastal highway project.

He listed the expected benefits of the highway to include reduced travel time by about one to two hours, improved agricultural productivity and food security, tourism development, expansion of the blue economy, increased trade and commerce, industrial growth, and improved access to ports and wider markets.

Akingunola urged the Minister of Works to respect the aspirations of the people of Ondo State and ensure that their economic interests were not undermined by the proposed change in the highway's route.

He also faulted the reported justification that the original route crossed terrain with pits exceeding 100 metres in depth, which could significantly increase construction costs.

According to him, such terrain challenges should have been identified and addressed during the project's feasibility studies and reflected in the relevant engineering and cost documents.

He argued that while construction costs were important, they should not be used as the sole reason to deny citizens the benefits of public infrastructure.

The ADC candidate further noted that Ondo State's status as an oil-producing state made it imperative for the federal government to consider the economic interests and development aspirations of its people in implementing the project.