The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has appealed to the Lagos State Government to temper its ongoing demolition of structures with mercy and compassion.
Obi made the call after visiting the site of the demolished ASPAMDA Market at the Trade Fair Complex in Lagos, describing the exercise as a test of the state’s commitment to justice and human dignity.
In a post shared via his X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday, Obi recalled a personal experience in the United Kingdom where, as a property owner, he was required to follow due process before evicting squatters. He contrasted this with the situation in Lagos, where, according to him, demolitions were being carried out “without regard for human dignity.”
“It would have been unthinkable for the state to simply wake up one morning and demolish people’s houses,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State governor argued that the law should serve as an instrument for order, peace, and protection of human dignity, not as a tool for punishment or oppression. He questioned the proportionality of the demolitions, lamenting the loss of billions of naira in investments and livelihoods.
“It is like punishing a man who stole a bicycle with death instead of imprisonment,” he added.
Obi urged the government to demonstrate empathy in enforcing the law, stressing that “governance must always balance law with compassion. A government should not pride itself on being legally correct if, in the process, it becomes morally wrong.”
He further noted that the true test of leadership lies in how the vulnerable are treated, emphasizing that justice must always be tempered with mercy.
However, Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, faulted Obi’s comments, accusing him of engaging in “emotional theatrics.” Omotoso maintained that the demolition exercise was constitutional, explaining that affected traders were given ample opportunity to regularize their documents during a general amnesty declared by the state government last year, which was extended several times.
