2027 elections: Battle for billboards as ADC, APC, APM throw blames in Oyo

Blueprint.ng Correspondent from Ibadan writes on the tensed political atmosphere  generated by the controversies of removal of billboards by the ruling and opposition political parties in Oyo state

The Oyo state political atmosphere is currently being heated up, caused by the controversy of accusations and counter accusations of the removal of billboards of candidates for the 2027 general elections.

This is, particularly from the governorship candidates as it has become the season of blame game among the major political parties contesting the election in the state.

Precisely, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are  slogging it out with the ruling Allied Progressive Movement (APM), in culminating in what could best be tagged ‘billboard mounting battle’ for the 2027 polls.

How it all started

The battle first reared its ugly head on Saturday, July 18 when the Media Office of ADC governorship candidate in Oyo state, Olooye Taofeek Adegboyega Adegoke, raised the alarm over what it called illegal removal of the billboard belonging to it’s candidate, erected at Idi- Ape junction in Ibadan allegedly by the Oyo state government.

However, on Monday, July 20, the situation took dramatic twist as the banner bearing Governor Seyi Makinde and the APM governorship candidate, Mr Bimbo Adekanmbi was erected at the position where the Oyo state ADC governorship candidate and the ADC presidential candidate was until it was removed on Saturday July 18.

To add salt to injury, the ADC billboard was equally torn to shreds and brought down by yet to be identified persons.

Accusation by the ADC media team

The Olooye Adegoke media team, in a statement, accused Oyo state government of illegally removing the ADC governorship candidate’s billboard at Idi- Ape junction in Ibadan and allegedly replaced the banner on the billboard of Olooye Adegoke which also included that of the ADC presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

The billboard was replaced with that bearing Governor Seyi Makinde, the APM presidential candidate; the APM governorship candidate in Oyo state, Mr Bimbo Adekanmbi and APM Akinyele House Assembly candidate.

According to the Media Office of the ADC governorship candidate,

Olooye Adegoke has been using the billboard for a long time without owing the agency and the agency not owing the Oyo state government and as such there was no basis for the removal of the billboard nor for the replacement of the banner.

The media office alleged that Governor Makinde who is also contesting the 2027 election might be feeling threatened and intimidated by the popularity of his opponent Alhaji Atiku contesting on the ADC platform.

It stressed that Adegoke was shocked about the replacement of his billboard allegedly by the Oyo state government because he said he had paid for the usage of the billboard till August 20, 2026 while the illegal removal was allegedly carried out in June, less than a month after the billboard fee was renewed for another three months, May 20th to August 20th 2026

Words of caution

The Media team of the Oyo state ADC governorship candidate cautioned the Oyo state government and the APM to stop behaving as if they were laws unto themselves, saying, “You cannot remove our principal and Atiku’s banner when we have legally paid the advert billboard’s agency.

“We are governed by law and illegal removal of our billboard is antithetical to peaceful coexistence and freedom of democracy. There are many locations in Ibadanland. Ibadan is the largest City in West Africa. The City can accommodate everybody. So, why removing our principal’s billboard?

“Such illegal act will not be tolerated and it cannot diminish the growing popularity of Olooye Adegoke and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in Ibadan and the entire Oyo state. Is this how we want to continue to play politics in Oyo state, behaving as if we are in a banana republic?

“Is Oyo state government jittery of ADC Abubakar Atiku and Olooye Adegboyega Taofeek Adegoke (FCA)? Gov Makinde should not be jittery . He should be ready to face the electorate. As far as Olooye Adegoke and Alhaji Atiku are concerned, they are sure of victory come 2027”.

Oyo ADC governorship candidate Olooye Adegoke

Reacting to the alleged illegal removal of his banner and that of Alhaji Abubakar Atiku at the Idi Ape junction in Ibadan, the ADC governorship candidate in Oyo state, Adegboyega Adegoke accused close aides of Governor Makinde of being behind the illegal removal of the banner and that of Alhaji Atiku from the billboard,  saying, his money is still running on the billboard till August 20, this year.

“My money is still running on that billboard till 20th August 2026″, alleging that an individual through a Consultant to Governor Seyi Makinde that is wielding his powers.”

He said rather than allow ADC and other political parties’ billboards in that area, they will cut all the billboards and plant flowers there”, he alleged.

The APC alarm

The media team of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo state, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, on its part raised the alarm of what it described as politically motivated destruction and forced removal of the candidate’s campaign billboards across the state allegedly by officials of the Oyo state government and the Oyo State Signage and Advertisement Agency (OYSAA).

The media team, in a strongly-worded statement, described the action as a ‘reckless abuse of state power, a direct assault on democracy and freedom of political participation, as well as a clear indication that Governor Seyi Makinde and the ruling administration have become unsettled by Senator Alli’s growing popularity and acceptance across Oyo state ahead of the 2027 governorship election.”

The APC team, according to the statement, alleged that several registered advertising practitioners, who had lawfully obtained approvals and received payments to erect Senator Alli’s campaign billboards,were allegedly compelled to dismantle the structures and refund the campaign team after being threatened with licence revocation and other punitive sanctions by OYSAA officials.

The statement said the development was an alarming misuse of regulatory authority, warning that state institutions established to serve the public must never be converted into political weapons against opposition parties.

It further alleged that “the selective removal of APC campaign materials while billboards belonging to the ruling PDP/APM remain untouched clearly exposes the partisan disposition of the agency and raises serious concerns over the neutrality of government institutions in the build-up to the 2027 elections.

It added that “no democratic government should resort to intimidation, harassment and suppression of legitimate political activities merely because it fears the verdict of the electorate and

that the destruction of campaign billboards would neither diminish Senator Alli’s widespread acceptance nor erase the growing desire of the people for a new direction in Oyo state.

“The desperation being displayed by the present administration is a clear admission that it recognises the overwhelming support Senator Sharafadeen Alli continues to enjoy across the state.If the government truly believes it has performed creditably, it should prepare to face the electorate rather than wage war against opposition campaign materials.”

While warning that history has repeatedly shown that governments which rely on intimidation instead of performance ultimately fail at the ballot box, it added “dismantling billboards cannot suppress the collective will of the people.”

The media team called on relevant democratic institutions, civil society organisations, election observers and security agencies to take note of what it described as systematic attempts to undermine political fairness and create an uneven playing field ahead of the elections.

It reaffirmed that Senator Alli and the APC would continue to pursue a peaceful, issue-based campaign anchored on responsible leadership, inclusive development and genuine service to the people and that no amount of intimidation, abuse of state institutions or destruction of campaign materials would weaken the determination of Oyo voters to freely choose their leaders.

To the Oyo APC, “the people of Oyo state will reject politics of intimidation and overwhelmingly support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senator Sharafadeen Alli and all APC candidates in the 2027 general elections.”

APM reacts

However, sources at the APM absolved the Oyo state government of alleged illegal removal of billboards belonging to the ADC and APC governorship candidates in some parts of the state.

According to the APM sources, most of the political parties accusing Governor Makinde-led government of illegally removing their billboards were only engaging in political blackmail as the parties were having issues with the agencies handling their billboards.

Already, political observers across the state are calling on Governor Makinde to wade into the billboard saga before it becomes a serious threat to the state peace as all the registered political parties in the state prepare for the 2027 general elections during whic billboards are expected to spring up in all the nooks and crannies of the 33 local government areas of Oyo state.

In the past years, Oyo state was noted for violent arising from issues such as removal of billboards, posters which often snowballed into accusation and later clashes between political followers and supporters in most cases.