By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi has strongly condemned the ongoing wave of property demolitions across Nigeria, calling them unjust, destructive, and a direct assault on citizens’ economic survival.
In a statement released on his X handle on Monday, Obi criticized all levels of government for engaging in the demolition of homes, shops, and marketplaces—often without prior notice or due process.
He described the trend as “willful destruction” and warned that it is pushing more Nigerians into poverty at a time when the government should be offering relief.
“An administration whose policies have already sent several million Nigerians into poverty in just 29 months should show compassion—not cruelty,” Obi said.
Obi expressed deep concern over the impact of these demolitions on small businesses and traders whose goods, sometimes worth billions of naira. are being destroyed overnight. He emphasized that many of these citizens had invested their life savings into the businesses now being razed.
“These demolitions destroy livelihoods, undermine businesses, and threaten the economic security of hardworking citizens,” he added. “What legal authority justifies such destruction of private property not linked to any criminal activity. without prior notice or due process?”
Obi questioned whether these actions serve the public interest or are simply arbitrary uses of state power. He called for a governance model rooted in empathy, rule of law, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
“This is happening at a time when the government is supposed to be lifting citizens out of poverty. Instead, it is plunging them deeper into hardship,” he warned.
The former governor of Anambra State also sounded the alarm on the broader message these demolitions send to local and international investors.
“These acts send a chilling message to entrepreneurs: that their honest work and sacrifice can be wiped away overnight,” Obi said. “If we fail to resist these injustices, we risk undermining the foundations of economic growth and social stability.”
Obi therefore urged the government to pursue urban development and enforcement in ways that respect human dignity, legal rights, and the economic realities of the people.
