Traders at Banex Plaza in Abuja rejected an APC campaign banner on Wednesday. Footage showed a crowd gathered around a fallen banner bearing President Bola Tinubu’s image and the party logo. The traders blocked efforts to display it. The man recording the incident said: “Dem no gree allow Tinubu banner for Banex Plaza, they don’t want Tinubu.” The exact reasons remain unclear. It is unclear whether the group made the decision. People watched from balconies and the courtyard.
Rejection of campaign materials has become a pattern. In October 2026, Jos residents chased an APC campaign van out of their neighbourhood. In Delta State, youths tore up Tinubu-branded polo shirts during an Independence Day run. In Abuja, crowds rejected APC branding at a festival. In Niger State, people wrapped billboards of Tinubu and Governor Umaru Bago in barbed wire to prevent vandalism. Each incident reflects public frustration. The 2027 election is approaching. The APC controls the presidency and most states. But street-level sentiment doesn't follow the party’s script.
The Banex incident occurred on Wednesday. Traders brought the banner to the plaza. Traders gathered. They refused to allow it to be hung. The banner fell. The crowd surrounded it. The recording captured the scene. The reasons are not stated. Traders may object to politics in a commercial space. They may oppose the party. They may be responding to economic hardship. The video does not say.
The timing matters. APC leaders held a rally in Jos the same day. The party’s chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, addressed supporters. The contrast is stark. The party can mobilise a rally. It cannot hang a banner in an Abuja market. The gap between organised support and organic sentiment is the story.
Online reaction was mixed. Some praised the traders. Others said politics should stay out of markets. Some questioned whether the rejection was staged. The video is the only evidence. It shows a crowd. It shows a fallen banner. It shows resistance.
Winners: The traders, who asserted their space. The opposition, which gained a viral moment. Social media, which gained content. The NDC and PDP, which gained momentum. Losers: The APC, whose banner was rejected. The campaign organisers, whose effort failed. Tinubu, whose image was refused in a major Abuja market. The party’s 2027 prospects, which face another warning. The political process, which is becoming more polarised.
Bottom Line: A banner was brought to Banex Plaza. Traders refused it. The video spread. The reasons are unclear. The message is not. The 2027 campaign is facing resistance in the streets. The APC must listen. If it does not, other markets may follow.