The exchange, which quickly went viral on social media, stemmed from Oseni’s probing questions about the controversial Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, a flagship infrastructure initiative under Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. 

Oseni, accused Umahi of having “reported” him to the President during a recent commissioning event, where the minister allegedly referenced the journalist’s critical queries on project costs.

“After you reported me in front of President Tinubu at the commissioning, you come on air to attack me,” Oseni fired back, insisting he had “empirical evidence” from the event and dismissing any denials as “dilly-dallying.” 

He pressed Umahi on specifics like the cost per kilometer, arguing that public accountability demanded transparency amid Nigeria’s economic strains.

Umahi, a civil engineer and former Ebonyi State governor, visibly bristled at the insinuation. 

“You are too small for me to report you to anyone. Who are you? Rufai makes me laugh with his high level of ignorance,” he retorted, repeatedly ordering Oseni to “keep quiet” and positioning himself as a “professor” in engineering due to decades of experience. 

“I understand engineering very well. You have no knowledge of what you’re asking,” Umahi added, defending the project’s design and dismissing cost queries as “nonsensical.”

The spat, which lasted several minutes, highlighted simmering tensions between government officials and media over the ₦15 trillion highway, criticized for its opacity and environmental impact since its May 2025 launch. 

Earlier in June, Oseni had publicly slammed Tinubu’s retort to critics—suggesting they “go stay in Idumota”—as “insensitive,” urging reassurance on funding amid subsidy removals and inflation.

This isn’t the first clash involving the trio. In June, a manipulated video falsely claiming Oseni “apologized” to Tinubu and Umahi circulated widely, only to be debunked as edited footage from a broader critique. 

Umahi’s ministry has touted the highway as a game-changer for economic integration, but ongoing debates shows broader calls for fiscal openness in Tinubu’s administration.