The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has condemned the demolition of citizens’ properties by governments at all levels, asserting that the destructions are further plunging Nigerians into poverty.
Obi made the remark on Monday following recent demolitions by the Lagos State Government, including the Trade Fair Complex and a car showroom owned by social media influencer Ola of Lagos (Waris Olayinka Akinwande).
“I like to reiterate my strong condemnation of the willful destruction of people’s property, and goods by governments at any level without notice. The recent demolition of citizens’ structures and the destruction of their goods and merchandise remains condemnable.
“An administration whose policies and style have sent several million Nigerians into poverty in 29 months should show compassion for its citizens. This is happening across the country at a time when the government is supposed to be lifting citizens out of poverty. Instead, it is plunging them deeper into hardship,” he stated.
Obi lamented that the demolitions destroy livelihoods, undermine businesses, and threaten the economic security of hardworking citizens, revealing that many of the shops contained goods worth billions of Naira, representing years of investment and toil.
“What legal authority justifies the destruction of private property—clearly not used for criminal purposes—without prior notice or due process? We must ask: are these actions genuinely in the public interest, or are they arbitrary and disproportionate exercises of power?” he questioned.
The former Anambra State governor explained that citizens deserve protection for their investments, livelihoods, and dignity, emphasising that the government must ensure that urban development and enforcement respect the rule of law and the rights of the people.
“Meanwhile, these acts of demolition send a chilling message to entrepreneurs across the nation and beyond: that their hard work and sacrifices can be wiped away overnight. If we fail to stand against such injustices, we risk undermining the very foundations of economic growth and social stability,” he warned.
He mentioned that every citizen has the right to build a life through honest work, adding that this right must never be trampled.
