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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

Kwara denies victimising PDP gov candidate over billboard removal

From The Punch · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The Kwara State Government denied politically targeting PDP governorship candidate Bolakale Kawu after authorities removed his campaign billboard in Ilorin.
  • A governor’s aide said the billboard operator, Al-Mubarak, owed the state signage agency and had been banned from operating.
  • Kawu’s media office said the billboard was removed before its rental period ended and accused the administration of political oppression.

Kwara State officials deny that politics led to the removal of a campaign billboard belonging to Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate Bolakale Kawu in Ilorin.

Ibraheem Abdullateef, a senior aide to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, said opposition campaign materials remained visible across the state capital. “The removal of the PDP gubernatorial candidate’s campaign billboard in Geri Alimi has nothing to do with politics. There are several campaign billboards of opposition candidates and even PDP across the state capital,” he said.

The removal of the PDP gubernatorial candidate’s campaign billboard in Geri Alimi has nothing to do with politics. There are several campaign billboards of opposition candidates and even PDP across the state capital.

· Ibraheem AbdullateefThe governor’s communications aide denied political targeting.

Abdullateef blamed the billboard operator, identified as Al-Mubarak. He said the company owed the Kwara State Signage and Advertisement Agency and had been banned from operating, but erected Kawu’s billboard before the ban was lifted. The aide also alleged that the incident may have been an attempt to create political controversy and portray the state government negatively.

A ban was placed on the company, but it went ahead to erect the billboard of the PDP gubernatorial candidate when the ban has not been lifted.

· Ibraheem AbdullateefHe explained the government’s account of the billboard’s removal.

Kawu’s media office offered a different account. It said campaign representatives had completed the required payments and procedures with the signage agency before the billboard went up, and alleged that authorities removed it before the agreed rental period expired. The office said the billboard was targeted after officials discovered that it displayed Kawu’s image and political message ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

The campaign office called the action unacceptable in a democratic society and urged the state government to provide equal treatment for all parties and candidates. Abdullateef responded that PDP billboards could be found almost everywhere in the state, presenting their presence as evidence that the government was not discriminating against opposition parties.

Such conduct is unacceptable in a democratic society.

· Bolakale Kawu’s media officeThe campaign office condemned the alleged removal before the rental period ended.
About this summary

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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