From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
The removal of campaign billboards belonging to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Kwara State, Engr. Suleiman Kawu, has triggered a fresh political dispute between the opposition party and the state government’s signage agency.
While the PDP and Kawu accuse the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, of using government machinery to suppress opposition visibility ahead of the 2027 elections, the Kwara State Signage and Advertisement Agency (KWASAA), said the affected billboards were removed for violating advertising regulations and allegedly compromising public infrastructure.
The controversy followed the removal of Kawu’s billboards at Adabata Junction and Agaka in Ilorin on Wednesday.
The General Manager of KWASAA, Mr Toba Adeyeye, who led the enforcement exercise, said the billboard at Adabata Junction was erected after a newly constructed portion of the road was allegedly dug up to facilitate its installation.
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He said another billboard at Bata Shop, Agaka, was mounted on a government-owned motorised borehole, describing the use of public infrastructure for political advertising without approval as unacceptable.
He added that the road was public property funded with taxpayers’ money and should not be damaged for political purposes.
On the billboard at Agaka, Adeyeye said the facility belonged to the government and required the approval of the relevant authorities before it could be used for advertising.
According to him, KWASAA works with the Ministry of Water Resources, which oversees the affected facility, stressing that political parties and candidates were expected to comply with the same rules irrespective of their affiliations.
Adeyeye rejected claims that the exercise was targeted at the opposition, saying the agency was only enforcing existing regulations.
“We are not really partisan, but we will do our job, no matter the party involved, no matter the candidate involved. The most important thing for us at KWASAA is Kwara. Kwara comes first, no matter the party, no matter the candidate,” he said.
He further disclosed that other PDP campaign billboards in Ilorin were left untouched because they did not fall within the specific violations being addressed.
The KWASAA boss said similar enforcement had previously affected candidates of the ruling party, insisting that no political party would be exempt from the agency’s regulations.
“Previously, during the primary elections, we had the same enforcement that affected even the ruling party greatly. If any ruling party candidate commits any of these offences, we are also going to pull it down,” he said.
KWASAA said its enforcement exercise would continue throughout the political campaign season, urging politicians and their supporters to comply with signage regulations and desist from damaging public facilities.
However, the PDP and Kawu rejected the explanation, alleging that the removal formed part of what they described as a wider attempt to frustrate the opposition’s political activities in the state.
The PDP State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, in a statement, specifically condemned the alleged involvement of agents operating under the Kwara State Water Corporation in the removal of Kawu’s billboard at Agaka.
The party alleged that the development was connected to Governor AbdulRazaq’s forthcoming turbanning ceremony, claiming that the administration was uncomfortable with opposition campaign materials being visible at strategic locations ahead of the event.
“The urgency of the directive issued to remove the billboard, coupled with the presence of Water Corporation agents at several locations in Ilorin pulling our billboards down, suggests that the Abdulrazaq administration has become increasingly uncomfortable with the growing visibility of the PDP across the state,” the party said.
The PDP argued that removing campaign billboards would not change the political choices of residents, saying the electorate’s decisions were based on their experiences and convictions rather than the visibility of campaign materials.
Kawu, who also condemned the removal, urged the governor to focus on competing through policies, programmes and performance rather than restricting opposition activities.
The PDP urged the state government to stop what it described as political intimidation and allow opposition parties to operate freely ahead of the 2027 elections.
He stressed that politicians seeking public office should be the first to demonstrate responsibility in protecting public assets.
“Anybody that is campaigning is campaigning to come and represent the people of Kwara State,” he added.
The development has consequently opened a fresh political fault line in Kwara, with the PDP framing the billboard removals as an attempt to suppress opposition visibility, while the state signage agency insists that the exercise is strictly regulatory and aimed at protecting public infrastructure.
