Residents of Oredo in Edo State have resisted an attempt to remove a campaign billboard. The men arrived in government Hilux vehicles. They wore safety vests. They moved to pull down the sign. It belongs to Hon. Frank Uyi Omosigho, the Nigeria Democratic Congress candidate for Oredo Federal Constituency. The billboard features Omosigho alongside Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. NDC branding is displayed on the material. Residents blocked the removal.
Campaign material destruction is a recurring feature of Nigerian elections. In 2022, APC and PDP supporters traded accusations of poster removal in Osun. In 2023, billboards were pulled down in Lagos, Rivers and Kano. The Electoral Act prohibits the destruction of campaign materials. Enforcement is rare. The offences usually go unpunished. The pattern reflects a broader weakness in Nigeria’s political culture. Parties compete through intimidation as well as persuasion. Destroying a rival’s visibility is cheaper than outspending them.
A video circulating from the area shows residents confronting the men. They repeatedly opposed the removal. They insisted the billboard should stay. Other community members gathered. The disagreement continued.
The incident is not isolated. Omosigho, who represents Oredo East Constituency in the Edo State House of Assembly, had earlier alleged that his posters, banners and billboards were pulled down in Stadium Road, Oguola, Oliha, Five Junction and Ekenwan Road. He said campaign materials were also destroyed at his campaign office along Stadium Road. He said community members alerted him. He visited the office at about 11 pm. He met youths who told him unknown persons had destroyed the materials.
The NDC condemned the destruction. The party called on security agencies to investigate and identify those responsible. It said the incidents could restrict legitimate political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general election. Omosigho urged his supporters to remain calm. He warned youths against being used to perpetrate violence. He said campaign posters and billboards would not determine the outcome of an election. Voters, he said, should be allowed to make their choices freely.
The matter has been reported to the police. The Edo State Commissioner of Police and the Department of State Services have been informed.
Separately, in Delta State, a local chairman reversed the sealing of a business belonging to an NDC ally after public pressure.
Winners: Oredo residents, who asserted their voice. Omosigho, who gained visibility. The NDC, which gained a platform. Losers: The men who attempted the removal, who failed and were filmed. The party accused of instigating them, if the link holds. The police, if no investigation follows. The political process, which faces another test of civility.
Bottom Line: Men arrived in government vehicles to remove a rival’s billboard. Residents stopped them. The billboard stayed. In Edo, and across Nigeria, the 2027 campaign is being fought in the streets as much as at the ballot. Destroying a poster does not destroy a candidacy. It only advertises the desperation of those who ordered it.