SDP candidate faults Fintiri over campaign billboard restrictions

File: Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri

The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Adewole Adebayo, has faulted the Adamawa State Government’s position on political campaign posters and billboards, warning that restricting opposition parties from displaying their campaign materials could undermine democratic competition.

Adebayo described the directive as a sign of dictatorship, insisting that all political parties must be allowed to publicise their programmes and sell their ideas to Nigerians ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election.

He spoke on Wednesday during the inauguration of the SDP’s 12,000-member Presidential Campaign Council, headed by Dr Yunusa Tanko, a former aide to the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi.

The SDP candidate questioned why the Adamawa State Government directed the removal of political fliers, posters and billboards belonging to parties other than the All Progressives Congress, claiming that the action was intended to satisfy President Bola Tinubu.

He said, “This is not something I think the media should take lightly because when you see things like this, there are signs of dictatorship.

“So, it is very important that everyone is allowed to sell their ideas.”

Adebayo’s comments come against the backdrop of an earlier controversy over the display of campaign posters in Adamawa State.

In July, The PUNCH reported that Governor Ahmadu Fintiri warned politicians against illegally pasting campaign posters on flyovers and other public buildings, threatening that offenders would face the full wrath of the law.

The warning followed a decision by Adamawa State Magistrate Court No. 2 to fine the African Democratic Congress governorship candidate, Suleiman Umar, N3m for placing campaign posters on public buildings.

Reacting to the development at the time, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Humwashi Wonosikou, said the government’s position was neither new nor selective, maintaining that the law prohibiting the defacement of public property applied to everyone, irrespective of political affiliation or social standing.

However, Adebayo urged the media not to take lightly any action that could restrict political parties’ ability to communicate their programmes to voters.

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The SDP candidate also charged members of the party’s campaign council, candidates and supporters to take their mobilisation efforts to communities across the country rather than concentrate their activities at the party’s national secretariat.

He said, “The battle for Nigeria is not at the SDP secretariat. It is in the communities, wards, zones and regions.

“As a member of the SDP, I have always done my assignment since I joined. The first assignment given to me when I joined the party in 1991 as a 19-year-old was to paste posters all over Lagos State, and I did a good job of it.

“If any other assignment is given to me, I will gladly do it. But one thing I will say in conclusion is that we have shown that we can build a country because we built a party.”

Inaugurating the campaign council, the SDP National Chairman, Prof. Sadiq Gombe, who serves as its chairman, urged members to conduct an issue-based and people-centred campaign guided by the Constitution, Electoral Act, Independent National Electoral Commission guidelines and the party’s constitution.

Gombe described Nigeria as being at a defining moment and called on party members to work towards defeating Tinubu in the January 16, 2027 presidential election.

He charged members of the council to demonstrate commitment, discipline and effective organisation to secure electoral victories for the party.

“Let us approach this election with the seriousness it deserves to unseat President Tinubu. Our campaign must be issue-based, people-centred and firmly rooted in the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act, INEC Guidelines and our party constitution.

“We must earn the confidence of Nigerians through credible engagement, persuasion, effective organisation and practical policy alternatives. We must reject violence, intimidation, electoral malpractice and every conduct capable of undermining the integrity of our democracy,” he said.

Gombe further urged campaign council members to take the party’s message to communities across the country, engage voters respectfully and demonstrate through their conduct that the SDP deserved public trust.