The Kwara State Government has rejected allegations that it ordered the removal of a campaign billboard belonging to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Bolakale Kawu, in Ilorin for political reasons.
The government said the billboard was removed as part of regulatory enforcement against the advertising company managing the structure, rather than as an attempt to frustrate the opposition ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
The Senior Special Assistant to Governor AbdulRazaq on Communications, Ibraheem Abdullateef, explained on Friday that the company, identified as Al-Mubarak, allegedly owed the Kwara State Signage and Advertisement Agency (KWASAA) and had been barred from operating.
According to him, the company proceeded to mount Kawu’s campaign 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.
“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 said.
He argued that the continued presence of campaign materials belonging to opposition politicians across Ilorin contradicted claims that the state government was selectively targeting the PDP candidate.
“There are several campaign billboards of opposition candidates and even PDP across the state capital,” he said.
Abdullateef further alleged that the circumstances surrounding the billboard could have been deliberately presented as a political dispute to damage the image of the AbdulRazaq administration.
“It appears to be a connivance between the opposition party and the agent just to paint the Kwara State Government bad,” he alleged.
Kawu’s media office had earlier accused the government of political oppression, claiming that the billboard was dismantled before the expiration of the period for which the advertising space had been paid.
The campaign team said it had dealt with the consultants responsible for the advertising location and completed the required payment and procedures with KWASAA before the billboard was installed.
It alleged that the structure was removed after authorities discovered that it carried Kawu’s photograph and political message ahead of the 2027 election.
The campaign described the action as unacceptable in a democratic society and called on the government to guarantee equal treatment for all political parties and candidates.
Kawu also appealed to civil society groups and other stakeholders to oppose what he described as political intimidation, while insisting that the billboard’s removal would not diminish support for his political camp, including former Senate President Bukola Saraki and the PDP.
However, KWASAA separately denied that the enforcement action was connected to the PDP or Kawu.
In a statement signed by its Press Secretary, Racheal Ajiboye, the agency said the action was based on the regulatory status of the billboard structure and alleged outstanding obligations of 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,” KWASAA said.
The agency advised Kawu and the PDP to direct their enquiries to the advertising operator from whom they rented the space, stressing that payment for a billboard did not by itself establish that the structure had received all required approvals.
“A rental payment does not establish that a billboard structure has the necessary approvals or that its operator has fulfilled outstanding obligations,” it stated.
KWASAA also raised concerns about the iron framework used for the billboard, saying it was installed without the agency’s approval or supervision and could pose a danger to motorists and other road users.
It questioned whether the structure had existed at the location before the enforcement exercise, whether the operator had cleared its outstanding obligations following an earlier enforcement action and who authorised the installation of the framework on the bridge.
“The iron framework was installed without the Agency’s approval or supervision. An improperly installed structure could endanger road users, and the Agency cannot ignore such risks,” the agency said.
KWASAA maintained that public safety and the protection of infrastructure remained its priority, adding that signage regulations would be enforced regardless of the political affiliation of advertisers.
The agency urged political parties, candidates and other advertisers to confirm the approval status of billboard structures and the compliance status of operators before making payments or installing campaign materials.
It said the measure would help prevent disputes and disruptions arising from regulatory enforcement, while assuring stakeholders that it remained available to receive enquiries and complaints.
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