By Henry Obetta 

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Lagos State, yesterday, condemned what it described as the unprovoked and violent assault by the Nigerian Police on peaceful protesters on Wednesday, saying it was a stain on “our democracy.”

The party, in a statement by its acting Publicity Secretary, Dr Christopher Odianarewo, also tasked the state government “come clean” regarding its true interests in the Makoko waterfront.

The statement reads: “The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) strongly condemns the unprovoked and violent assault by the Nigerian Police on peaceful protesters yesterday, Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at the Lagos State House of Assembly.

“The protesters, primarily residents of Makoko and surrounding communities, had gathered at the Alausa complex to exercise their fundamental right to dissent. They sought only to voice their grievances over the aggressive, inhumane, and deteriorating state of the demolition exercises currently ravaging their ancestral homes. Instead of a hearing, they were met with teargas, batons, and brute force.  

“The scenes at the House of Assembly yesterday were a stain on our democracy. While the Lagos State Government hides behind the veil of “urban renewal” and “safety setbacks,” the reality on the ground is a humanitarian disaster. The PDP asks: Whose house is next? If the government can move against the vulnerable in Makoko without due process, no Lagosian, regardless of status, is safe from the whims of a land-hungry administration.  

“The Lagos State PDP demands that the State Government “come clean” regarding its true interests in the Makoko waterfront. We remind the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration of the following:

Federal Authority: By virtue of the Supreme Court’s affirmation of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) Act, the management and control of Nigeria’s navigable waterways fall under the Exclusive Legislative List of the Federal Government.  

“The conflict of interest: If the waterways belong to the Federal Government, what is the special, vested interest of the Lagos State Government in the aggressive reclamation and demolition of Makoko?”

On the land grabbing allegations, the party said: “There is a growing and disturbing perception that these demolitions are not about “safety,” but rather a systematic “land grab” to clear the way for elite luxury real estate projects, at the expense of the poor and the displaced.”

“The Lagos State PDP, hereby demands immediate Accountability: An independent inquiry into the use of force by the Police today at Alausa. Those who ordered the attack on unarmed women and youths must be held responsible.

“An immediate halt to all demolition exercises in Makoko and environs until a transparent, human-rights-compliant resettlement plan is established.

“The State Government must explain the legal framework it is using to override Federal authority over these waterways.

“The people of Makoko are Lagosians, not environmental hazards. They deserve dignity, dialogue, and protection, not teargas and bulldozers”, the party states.