The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the forthcoming 2023 gubernatorial elections in Oyo State, Barr. Michael Lana on Wednesday threatened to sue the Oyo State governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde over alleged acquisition of land illegally.

He alleged that some lands have been taken over by the Makindes Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led administration which has deprived over 5,000 villagers of their rights, Daily Independent reports.

Speaking in Ibadan at a program organised by the Political Commission of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Oyo State chapter, tagged “One-on-one with Oyo Workers”, the SDP candidate said he planned to engage the government on setback giving to the outer ring road which was originally 75 meters and increased to 500 meters by the present administration.

“The setback has deprived over 5,000 villagers of their land, I will reverse it if I become the governor, and if I don’t win, I will still sue the government. You can not just take people’s land for private investment, it is unlawful and illegal.”

He also said he would review the acquisition of land acquired for the free trade zone from Guru Mahara Ji to the boundary between Oyo and Ogun State along the Lagos/Ibadan expressway, saying it is wrong under the law to acquire land for a particular purpose and use it for another purpose.

“If I become the governor, I will create anti-land grabbing law which will fight for the right of our citizens free of charge so that they can get their land back from any land grabbers, if you want anybody’s land, tell them, pay for it, and they will sell it to you.

“Under the town planning law, the governor is supposed to break every city and town into schemes so that there can be agricultural scheme, industrial and residential scheme, no government have done this or create any other scheme since the military regime.”

“All development in Bodija and Iyaganku is against the law, but it’s too late to reverse that we can create other residential areas in the scheme, and we shall ensure that there are penalties in the law to restore such so that residents will not be commercial scheme, and agricultural is not turn to industrial, we shall do all these through the agency.”

He, however, said one of the problems the state is having is a misplaced priority, adding that he would ensure he addresses the problem of the people to restore the state to a pacesetter state.

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