BY ABADOM LAWRENCE AMECHI
THE RECENT warning by the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Olatunji Disu, against the deliberate destruction, defacement or unlawful removal of political campaign and election materials, with a stern reminder that such acts constitute criminal offences punishable by severe legal consequences, is both timely and commendable. Although the warning may have come a little late, it is certainly better late than never.
If we are not careful, overzealous supporters and political sycophants may turn the electioneering period into an atmosphere of fear, hostility and intimidation. Every political aspirant has the right to campaign freely within the geographical boundaries of their constituency without inhibition, blackmail, harassment or intimidation.
We are gradually arriving at a situation where only federal and state governments, possibly deploying public resources, can afford to mount political billboards and display campaign materials across the country. This situation is not peculiar to Abuja; similar concerns are emerging across several states.
Until 2023, political aspirants and parties could freely paste posters and mount billboards across the country. Unfortunately, under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the destruction, defacement and unlawful removal of political campaign materials appear to have become increasingly common. Unless something drastic is done, this trend could have serious consequences for our democracy.
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At a time when state governments are charging astronomical sums for billboard advertisements, the destruction of posters and billboards amounts to a needless waste of resources. We must not allow the political landscape across the country to become increasingly hostile and inaccessible to opposition parties and their candidates.
With virtually all states and the FCT under APC control, except Oyo and Bauchi states, it is hardly surprising that APC campaign materials dominate billboards and other political displays across the country. A tour of the country reveals that campaign materials belonging to APC candidates constitute the overwhelming majority of what is on display. The message is frighteningly clear, and so is the reaction it is likely to provoke.
Philosophers have long argued that society creates criminals, while individuals commit crimes. When a society deliberately makes ordinary things unnecessarily difficult, undesirable reactions may become inevitable. When the political environment is structured in a way that makes the ruling party appear to be the only one capable of displaying campaign posters and mounting billboards, it breeds frustration, resentment and a deep sense of political exclusion among other parties and their supporters.
You cannot deliberately create an atmosphere of exclusion and expect it to produce a society characterised by contentment and peace.
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Under the administration of Governor Alex Otti, the Abia State Signage and Advertising Agency (ABSSAA) announced political campaign advertising permit fees ahead of the 2027 general elections. The fees reportedly range from a minimum of ₦10 million for local government campaigns to a staggering ₦200 million for presidential candidates.
It is also alleged that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, is charging as much as ₦750 million for presidential campaign billboards in Abuja. Although Wike denied the allegation during a media chat on November 5, he was conspicuously silent on what the actual charges are.
We are gradually arriving at a situation where only federal and state governments, possibly deploying public resources, can afford to mount political billboards and display campaign materials across the country. This situation is not peculiar to Abuja; similar concerns are emerging across several states.
Democracy cannot survive where opposition figures are intimidated, peaceful rallies are attacked and political activities are subjected to violence. The IGP must demonstrate, through words and actions, that the police serve the Nigerian people and the Constitution, not the interests of the ruling party.
When the cost of political participation is deliberately or excessively pushed beyond the reach of ordinary political parties and candidates, the implications for electoral competition, political inclusiveness and the credibility of our democracy become frightening.
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Nigeria’s political space has shrunk dangerously under President Tinubu. It is therefore surprising that the Inspector-General of Police appears more concerned about the removal and defacement of campaign posters while remaining conspicuously silent on far more disturbing acts of political intolerance, violence and intimidation.
For instance, some thugs reportedly blocked HE Peter Obi from entering Makurdi, Benue State, as he travelled to Yelwata to visit victims of the attacks who were taking refuge in an IDP camp. Neither the federal government nor the police appeared sufficiently disturbed by this unacceptable development. The IGP did not issue any comparably strong statement condemning the incident.
Similarly, HE Peter Obi’s convoy was recently attacked in Calabar. Peaceful rallies organised by the NDC have also reportedly come under attack in several locations across Edo, Delta, Enugu and Ebonyi states.
The Inspector-General of Police must speak out strongly and unequivocally against these acts of political violence and intimidation, just as he has done concerning the destruction and defacement of campaign posters.
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The police must not create the impression that the protection of political posters, particularly those belonging to the APC, attracts greater urgency and attention than the protection of human lives, political rights and democratic freedoms.
This raises a fundamental question: Should the police be more concerned about the destruction of campaign posters than the obstruction, intimidation and denial of citizens’ political rights?
The protection of Nigeria’s democracy must go beyond campaign materials. It must include the protection of political actors, their freedom of movement and their constitutional right to participate in the democratic process without fear or intimidation.
Democracy cannot survive where opposition figures are intimidated, peaceful rallies are attacked and political activities are subjected to violence. The IGP must demonstrate, through words and actions, that the police serve the Nigerian people and the Constitution, not the interests of the ruling party.
