The campaign season for the 2023 general elections, has been trailed by several politically motivated attacks including billboard and posters vandalism.
OsunDaily News reports that the situation has left several political parties in many states across the federation complaining about how their campaign material is being destroyed.
Recall that OsunDaily News had in the past weeks reported allegations of billboards vandalism by the opposition parties in states like Oyo, Jigawa, and Rivers among others.
The latest on the list of the revelation of such acts is the Kwara state chapters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP), who have accused the APC-led government in the state of intimidating other opposition parties.
The Kwara state PDP Publicity Secretary, Tunji Morohunfoye disclosed that some PDP billboards of the party’s governorship candidate, Alhaji Yaman Abdullahi were destroyed in some areas of the state like Unity Road, GSS area, and Maraba/Sango Road.
Morohunfoye alleged that some of the vandalised billboards were in the same areas as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate and incumbent governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
He also alleged that said the PDP in the state is been subjected to subtle victimisation by the ruling APC, adding that the issue was reported to the Department of State Services (DSS).
OsunDaily News also gathered that the Publicity Secretary of the SDP, Ibrahim Sharafadeen, also alleged that some billboards of the party’s governorship candidate, Hakeem Lawal, at the Ilorin International Airport area were vandalised.
He said the party was compiling the incidents and would file an official complaint.
However, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Okasanmi Ajayi, revealed that no official report of intimidation had been reported to the police by any party.
Similarly, the Zamfara state, PDP secretary, Faruku Ahmed Gusau, bemoaned harassment by the state saying “The APC-led government under the leadership of Governor Bello Matawalle is not comfortable with the growing popularity of our party; that is why he is always causing problems.”
But the APC publicity secretary, Yusuf Idris, countered him saying “PDP leaders know that they can’t win Zamfara State, that’s why they don’t want peace to reign in the state. The government will not allow innocent people to suffer. That is why whenever the government takes security measures, they complain of intimidation.”
The state police command, SP Mohammed Shehu, reacting to the issue said “The command will make sure that all parties are given an enabling environment to go about their activities. We will make sure that the elections are conducted in a peaceful atmosphere.”
OsunDaily News understands the PDP governorship candidate in Gombe state, Jibrin Barde condemned the demolition of his campaign office located opposite the presidential lodge.
Barde alleged that the office was demolished by the state Urban Planning and Development Authority because he did not transfer ownership of the site.
He submitted that “We applied to the Urban Development Board to provide us with approval so that we can complete the construction of our office. They granted us the approval but subsequently, came and gave us a quit notice.
“We went to court and obtained a court injunction on May 18, 2022, to stop them. In violation of the court order and total disregard for the rule of law, they came on May 23 and demolished the building.”
In his reaction, the Special Adviser to the state governor on Development Control and Enforcement, Grp Capt Peter Bilal, (retd.), debunked the allegation saying the demolished wasn’t politically motivated, as insinuated.
He said, “It is a party structure and you will see that it is a PDP campaign office whereas Gombe State is under an APC government. Would you want a president in the presidential lodge coming out and seeing PDP structures in front of his lodge or maybe dignitaries? The structure is also on the route to the Government House.”
In Cross River State, the governorship candidate of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Usani Usani, said his campaign billboards and those of other candidates had been destroyed.
Usani’s media aide, David Agabi, who listed the areas where the incidents happened, said, “Destroying and carting away of Usani’s billboard took place at Ediba Junction, Ugep, Yakurr LGA. There was total vandalisation of Usani’s large format billboard at Odukpani Junction, Odukpani LGA.
“There is also the destruction of his billboard at Okundi Boki, Boki LGA and the mysterious disappearance of the Usani banner within Calabar. Nobody has been apprehended. All we know is that the billboards have been vandalised.”
However, the PDP Publicity Secretary in the state, Mike Ojisi, noted that the party was suffering a similar fate in almost all the LGAs.
The state chairman of APGA in Abia state, Rev Augustine Ehiemere, said, “At our campaign office at the Okpara Square, Umuahia, the PDP used their posters to cover the fence of our campaign office. The billboards of our governorship candidate have also been destroyed.
“There is also that of Ahamdi Nweke (the senatorial candidate of APGA for Abia Central Zone), for which he went to court. We will not tolerate intimidation. Heads of security agencies should caution their officers and men as we will not tolerate that.”
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer, of the Police Force, Muyiwa Adejobi, warned that the destruction of campaign billboards and posters was a criminal offence.
Adejobi told Punch that “It is a criminal offence under the criminal and penal codes and the Electoral Act (2022) to tear or destroy campaign posters or billboards. The police frown upon this act as it is barbaric and has poor sportsmanship.
“Candidates should urge their supporters to desist from such, as anyone found wanting will be prosecuted. There’s usually some difficulty in arresting the perpetrators because they usually carry out such illegal activities at night, but anyone caught will be prosecuted and this is a warning to such individuals, groups or parties.”
