Abacha consigliere in superhighway storm: Minister confirms upfront payments to Hitech Construction on a no-bid contract for 'Africa's biggest road'.

The article focuses on the political resurgence of James Ibori in Nigeria's Delta State and the influential role of billionaire businessman Gilbert Chagoury in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration. Despite Ibori's past corruption conviction in Britain, he remains a key political power broker in the Niger Delta, advising Tinubu and facilitating federal appointments. Chagoury, once convicted of laundering funds stolen by the late military ruler Sani Abacha, has re-emerged as Tinubu's most important unofficial advisor and major contractor, notably through his family-owned Hitech Construction Company, which was awarded a controversial no-bid contract for the $11.12 billion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project. The article highlights concerns over transparency and financial sustainability surrounding this project, as well as the enduring political and business alliance between Tinubu and Chagoury, which bridges Nigeria's military past and current civilian governance.