The Lagos State Government has dismissed claims by former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, regarding the recent demolitions at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso, accused Obi of politicizing the matter, describing his remarks as an attempt to “mislead the public with misinformation and disinformation.” He stressed that the exercise was strictly about enforcing the state’s physical planning laws.
According to Omotoso, the demolished structures had no government approvals despite repeated opportunities for regularisation. He explained that owners ignored last year’s general amnesty — extended several times — and even resisted officials during inspections. He added that the Federal Government’s Trade Fair Management Board lacked the legal authority to grant building approvals independent of the Lagos State Government.
The commissioner concluded that the enforcement was necessary to protect order, stressing that “society must decide between being governed by law or by emotions driven by political interests.”