The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has condemned the ongoing demolition of citizens’ properties and means of livelihood by government authorities across the country, describing the actions as “unjustifiable” and “inhumane.”
In a statement shared via his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, Obi criticised the destruction of shops, buildings, and other structures without prior notice, especially at a time when millions of Nigerians are struggling with worsening economic hardship.
“I 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 remain condemnable,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State Governor lamented that the administration’s approach has worsened poverty and suffering for many Nigerians, noting that such demolitions destroy livelihoods, undermine businesses, and threaten economic stability.
“At a time when the government is supposed to be lifting citizens out of poverty, it is instead plunging them deeper into hardship. These demolitions destroy livelihoods, undermine businesses, and threaten the economic security of hardworking citizens,” he wrote.
Obi further stated that many of the affected properties contained goods worth billions of naira — representing years of investment and toil — and that no legal justification exists for demolishing private property without due process or prior notice.
He questioned whether such actions serve any genuine public interest or simply reflect “arbitrary and disproportionate exercises of power,” warning that they send the wrong message to local and foreign investors whose confidence is vital to national development.
“If we fail to stand against such injustices, we risk undermining the very foundations of economic growth and social stability. Every citizen has the right to build a life through honest work, and that right must never be trampled,” Obi stated.
