The 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr. Peter Obi, has faulted the demolition of plazas at the Trade Fair Complex, in the Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State.

Recall that officials of the Lagos Ministry of Physical Planning, Lagos State Building Control Agency, Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency, and the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority carried out the demolition exercise.

In a post on Tuesday, Obi, who visited the Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association, ASPAMDA, section of the market with a handful of lawmakers, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central), said the plazas were pulled down despite valid approvals.

The former Anambra State governor said some National Assembly members have pledged to investigate the demolition “thoroughly and bring to light the circumstances that led to this unfortunate development” to forestall a recurrence.

He wrote: “I must commend the traders for their remarkable restraint and calm in the face of such painful loss.

“Beyond this immediate case, I urge government at all levels to act with compassion, fairness, and a deep sense of justice, especially at this difficult time.

“Many of the affected traders invested heavily — often through loans — in the hope of securing their livelihoods and contributing to the wider economy.

“To destroy such legitimate investments without due process is not only unjust but also economically destructive.

“Incidents like this should have no place in a nation that aspires to fairness, stability, and shared prosperity.”

Obi was wrong —Lagos govt

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, tackled Mr. Obi’s comments on the demolition of Trade Fair Complex.

Omotoso, in a reaction to Obi’s comments, said the former governor was trying to whip up sentiment.

The statement read in part: “The owners of the building have no approval. They got ample time to regularize their papers when the state government declared last year a general amnesty, which was extended several times.

“The owners shunned the offer. When Physical Planning officials visited the complex, the gates were locked against them; they were beaten up. The police rescued them. When the government called the owners for talks, they said they would not come; they did not come.

“Their defence is that the Management Board of the Trade Fair permitted them to build their structures. This is wrong.

“The board, which is a creation of the Federal Government to manage the complex, does not have powers to approve or regulate building developments within the complex independent of Lagos State Government. Physical Planning and building approvals are within the remit of State Governments.’

“Under the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act (1992, as domesticated by Lagos State’s Physical Planning and Development Regulations), all physical development in any part of Lagos must obtain planning permit/approval from the Lagos State Government through its Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.

“This position was further clarified and reinforced by The Supreme Court judgment of 2003 (Attorney-General of Lagos State v. Attorney-General of the Federation) that land use and physical planning fall under concurrent jurisdiction, and states retain the authority to regulate development control within their territories, including federal lands, except for core areas like military formations or exclusive federal enclaves.

“The Trade Fair Complex Board may manage leases, tenancies, and commercial activities, but any construction, alteration, or development still requires Lagos State planning permit. Otherwise, such developments would be deemed illegal under state law, and the Lagos State Government has the power to seal or demolish them.

“In other words, the Management Board can allocate spaces and give administrative consent, but building approvals must pass through Lagos State government.” (Vanguard)