From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
The controversy surrounding the removal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Bolakale Kawu’s campaign billboard at the Geri Alimi Underpass in Ilorin, Kwara State, has deepened, with the advertising company managing the facility challenging the state government’s explanation for the enforcement.
Almubarak Marketing Agency, which managed the advertising space, said it had valid approvals and had paid the required charges to the Kwara State Signage and Advertisement Agency before mounting the billboard featuring Kawu.
The agency, in a statement signed by its management also disputed claims by the state government and KWASAA that it was operating under a ban and had outstanding obligations to the agency.
The development followed allegations by Kawu’s media office that the billboard was removed for political reasons after it was used to display the PDP candidate’s campaign material ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
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The Kwara State Government, however, rejected the allegation, insisting that the removal had nothing to do with politics.
The Senior Special Assistant to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, on Communications, Ibraheem Abdullateef, said opposition campaign materials remained visible across Ilorin, arguing that the enforcement was directed at the advertising operator and not Kawu or the PDP.
“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,” Abdullateef said.
According to him, Almubarak was indebted to KWASAA and had been banned from operating, but allegedly proceeded to erect Kawu’s billboard despite the ban.
“The real issue which they are trying to bury is that the agent managing the space for that billboard, known as Al-Mubarak, is seriously indebted to KWASAA,” the governor’s aide alleged.
“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.”
Abdullateef further alleged that the development could have been an attempt by the opposition and the advertising company to create controversy and portray the state government negatively.
But Almubarak strongly disputed the government’s account, saying it possessed the requisite approvals to operate outdoor advertising facilities in Kwara State and Nigeria.
The company said it was certified by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria with Certificate No. 072 and was also a member of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria with Membership No. 209.
It said the Geri Alimi advertising facility had been under its management for about five years and that all applicable payments and dues had been settled up to June 2026.
More significantly, Almubarak claimed that the disputed advertising space was included in bills issued to it by KWASAA and signed by the agency’s current General Manager.
“If KWASAA genuinely believed that the particular location posed a danger or was structurally unsafe, why was the same board included among the bills given to our agency?” Almubarak asked.
The company said it found it contradictory for the authority to bill it for an advertising space and subsequently remove the facility on the grounds that the location was endangered without first addressing the status of the approval granted for its use.
Almubarak also maintained that the billboard had previously carried a Colgate advertising campaign for more than three years before becoming vacant last year, and that the space was later used for Kawu’s campaign material.
KWASAA, in its own response to the controversy, denied targeting the PDP candidate or any political party, saying its action was based on the approval status of the billboard structure and outstanding obligations allegedly owed by its operator.
“The enforcement concerns the approval status of the structure and the operator’s outstanding obligations to the Agency. It was not directed at any political party or candidate,” the agency said in a statement issued by its Press Secretary, Racheal Ajiboye.
KWASAA further advised the PDP and Kawu to seek clarification from the advertising operator, stressing that payment for a billboard did not automatically establish that the structure had the necessary regulatory approvals.
“A rental payment does not establish that a billboard structure has the necessary approvals or that its operator has fulfilled outstanding obligations,” the agency stated.
The signage agency also questioned whether the structure existed at the location before the enforcement, whether outstanding obligations had been settled following an earlier enforcement action and who authorised the installation of the iron framework on the bridge.
According to KWASAA, the framework was installed without its approval or supervision, warning that an improperly installed structure could endanger road users.
The agency said the safety of residents and protection of public infrastructure remained non-negotiable and that it would continue to enforce signage regulations irrespective of the political affiliation of advertisers.
However, Almubarak said it was not opposed to legitimate regulation or safety measures, insisting that enforcement must be transparent, consistent, fair and carried out in accordance with due process.
“We are not opposed to legitimate regulation, safety measures or enforcement. As responsible corporate citizens, we fully support any action taken in the genuine interest of public safety. However, regulatory enforcement must be transparent, consistent, fair and backed by due process,” the company said.
The advertising firm challenged KWASAA to establish through the appropriate legal and administrative channels any claim that it lacked the required approval, saying it was prepared to present its approval documents, payment evidence and official receipts issued by the agency.
“We have nothing to hide. Let the documents speak. Let due process prevail,” Almubarak said.
The PDP candidate’s media office had earlier accused the AbdulRazaq administration of political oppression, alleging that the billboard was removed before the expiration of its rental period after the authorities discovered that it was being used for Kawu’s campaign.
The office said representatives of the campaign had completed the necessary payment and procedures with the consultants managing the advertising spaces and KWASAA before the billboard was mounted.
It described the alleged removal as unacceptable in a democratic society and called for a level playing field for political parties and candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
The competing accounts have now placed the spotlight on the documents surrounding the billboard — particularly the validity of its approval, payments made for the advertising space, the alleged ban on Almubarak and KWASAA’s claim that the structure posed a safety risk.
While the government insists the enforcement was regulatory and unrelated to politics, Almubarak maintains that its actions were based on approvals and transactions conducted with the relevant authority, leaving the dispute centred on which account the official records will ultimately support.
