Former Anambra State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has alleged that the demolition of his younger brother’s office in Lagos was part of a larger pattern of political victimisation he has endured since contesting the last general election.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Tuesday, Obi expressed deep frustration over what he described as “coordinated lawlessness and impunity,” accusing certain forces of targeting him and his family for his democratic participation.
“I know what I have been going through as a person in abuse of my human rights just because I contested a presidential election which I have a legitimate right to do,” Obi stated.
He disclosed that he was alerted in the early hours of Tuesday by his youngest brother, whose company building in the Ikeja area of Lagos was allegedly being demolished by unidentified persons.
“This morning, my youngest brother called me frantically, informing me that a group of people had invaded his company property in Ikeja, Lagos, and were demolishing the building,” Obi recounted.
“I rushed to Lagos from Abuja and headed straight to the property.”
Upon arrival, Obi said he confronted those involved and was told they had a court judgment authorising the action. However, on closer inspection, he claimed the judgment was flawed and issued “against an unknown person and squatters,” with no specific names or affected parties identified.
“I asked for a demolition order or permit and was shown none. How do you sue an unknown person? How does a court issue a judgment in such a farce of a case? No one was served. No name was written,” he said.
He added, “Yet they came with bulldozers and began tearing down a structure that had existed for over 15 years.”
The former governor described the action as not only illegal but also symptomatic of the broader decay in the Nigerian legal and governance system.
“This is the kind of impunity that continues to discourage investors from coming into Nigeria. We cannot continue to operate as a lawless nation and expect economic growth,” Obi warned.
“Until we entrench the rule of law and ensure that people’s rights are respected, we will keep losing opportunities.”
Meanwhile, Lagos State government is yet to make any clarification on this matter, fuelling public perception on political intimidation of opposition figures.
Also, Obi’s remarks have triggered fresh debates online, with many of his supporters expressing outrage and calling for a thorough investigation into the matter.
Political analysts say the incident could add to existing tensions between Obi and certain political forces in the South-West, where his rising popularity in the last election disrupted traditional voting patterns.
Meanwhile, civil society organisations have urged the Lagos State Government to provide transparency on the incident and ensure such actions are not used as tools for political witch-hunting.
