Enugu PDP candidate Nnaji pledges free shops to traders displaced by market demolitions
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Uche Nnaji, the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Enugu State for 2027, has promised to rebuild demolished markets and give replacement shops to affected traders free of charge if elected.
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Enugu State for the 2027 elections, Uche Nnaji, has promised to rebuild demolished markets and provide free shops to affected traders if elected governor.
Nnaji made the pledge while receiving a coalition of interest groups at his campaign office in Enugu, saying his administration would review the circumstances surrounding the demolition of markets and work out arrangements to restore the livelihoods of displaced traders.
The delegation comprised leaders of the Arewa Northern Forum, traders and artisans displaced from Gariki Market, members of the Inter-Faith Council and leaders of non-indigene communities resident in the state, among other stakeholders.
The groups expressed solidarity with the PDP candidate and lamented the hardship allegedly caused by market demolitions, multiple taxation and difficulties in securing trading spaces, according to a report by The Guardian Nigeria.
Responding, Nnaji said the loss of businesses and sources of livelihood had caused severe hardship to many families, insisting that government should prioritise wealth creation and the welfare of citizens rather than policies that leave people destitute.
He said his intention is to use public resources to build the markets and give the shops to their original owners free of charge, although he explained that the arrangement would depend partly on the resources available to an incoming administration.