Sen. Alli’s Media Team Condemns Forced Removal Of Candidate’s Billboard
The Media Team of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator (Dr) Sharafadeen Alli, has condemned what it described as the politically motivated destruction and forced removal of the candidate’s campaign billboards across the state 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.
According to the statement, credible information available to the team revealed 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 media team described the development as 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 said 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.
The statement stressed that no democratic government should resort to intimidation, harassment and suppression of legitimate political activities merely because it fears the verdict of the electorate.
It maintained 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,” the statement said.
The media team warned that history has repeatedly shown that governments which rely on intimidation instead of performance ultimately fail at the ballot box, adding that dismantling billboards cannot suppress the collective will of the people.
It 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.
The statement 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.
It added 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.
The media team expressed confidence that the people of Oyo State would reject politics of intimidation and overwhelmingly support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senator (Dr) Sharafadeen Alli and all APC candidates in the 2027 general elections.
