The Lagos State Government has pushed back against remarks made by former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi regarding the recent demolition of structures at the Trade Fair Complex.
In a statement on Wednesday, Gbenga Omotoso, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, said Obi’s comments amounted to “misinformation and disinformation” intended to mislead the public.
Obi, during a visit to the complex, had praised traders for showing restraint and suggested that the demolished properties had valid approvals. The state, however, insists otherwise.
According to Omotoso, the owners of the affected structures never secured proper planning permits.
“The government offered a general amnesty last year, extended multiple times, to allow them regularise their documents. They ignored it,” he said.
He added that officials from the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development faced hostility when they attempted to inspect the properties.
“They were denied entry, attacked, and the police had to step in to protect them,” Omotoso alleged.
The government also dismissed arguments that the Trade Fair Complex Management Board had authority to approve construction.
While the Board, set up by the Federal Government, manages leases and commercial activity, Omotoso stressed that it cannot authorise physical development without Lagos State approval.
“All developments in Lagos fall under the State’s physical planning laws, in line with the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act of 1992,” he explained.
He cited the 2003 Supreme Court ruling in Attorney-General of Lagos State v. Attorney-General of the Federation, which upheld states’ powers to regulate land use.
Omotoso said the demolitions were carried out lawfully and warned against politicising enforcement.
“The question before us is simple: do we want a state governed by law, or one where emotions and political interests override due process?” he asked.
The government maintained that any construction or alteration without state-issued planning approval remains illegal and liable to demolition.
