Former Labour Party governorship candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and rights activist Deji Adeyanju have joined a growing chorus of condemnation following the demolition of a company property belonging to Peter Obi’s younger brother in Ikeja, Lagos.
The property, which had stood for over 15 years, was reportedly pulled down by Lagos State Government officials over the weekend of June 22–23, 2025, under controversial circumstances. Former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, had earlier raised alarm over the demolition, describing it as an attack on property rights and rule of law.
In a strongly worded post on his official X handle, Rhodes-Vivour described the act as a “total shame” and a continuation of what he called the ruling party’s “culture of recklessness and lawlessness.” He said the Lagos government’s actions were symptomatic of a larger national governance crisis that had driven foreign investors away from Nigeria and worsened unemployment and poverty.
“This level of lawlessness has now been normalized. Lagos should be a state that values property rights and the rule of law, but unfortunately, it’s being governed by short-sighted politicians only concerned with what they can extract from the system,” Rhodes-Vivour stated.
Activist lawyer Deji Adeyanju also reacted angrily, questioning why the property was demolished without giving the owners time to remove their belongings. “Where are we heading in this country? What kind of politics is this, for God’s sake?” he asked in a Facebook post.
Peter Obi, narrating the ordeal, revealed that when his brother arrived at the property after being alerted, he was denied entry by security operatives while the demolition was ongoing. According to him, no demolition order or official court ruling was served to the company, and the alleged court judgment cited by the demolition team was against “unknown persons and squatters.”
Obi said he stood at the site for over four hours, waiting for whoever authorized the demolition to contact him after leaving his phone number with the contractors, but no one reached out. “It’s a coordinated act of lawlessness and impunity,” he said.
As public backlash continues to grow, critics say the demolition reflects a deepening crisis of governance and disregard for property rights in Nigeria’s commercial capital. Calls for a full investigation and compensation have started gaining momentum across social media platforms.
