Supporters ignore Tinubu’s directive, fill Abuja with campaign posters

More campaign posters of President Bola Tinubu have emerged in the FCT, barely 10 days after the president told his supporters to suspend their 2027 campaigns for him.

Although he is expected to run, Mr Tinubu has not publicly said he will take part in the 2027 presidential election, but his supporters have started campaigning publicly, contrary to Nigeria’s electoral guidelines.

In a statement on 13 April, the president asked his supporters to stop campaigning for his re-election to avoid breaching the rules of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“Until INEC sets the timetable for the 2027 elections, the President has not endorsed or authorised anyone or any group to mount a 2027 campaign for him through any media channel—be it Out-of-Home, print, digital, radio, or television,” presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said in a statement reported by PREMIUM TIMES.

“Therefore, we urgently call on individuals and groups funding this 2027 political campaign through the ongoing deployment of materials on billboards nationwide to cease immediately,” Mr Onanuga added.

It is, however, not clear if the president gave an express directive to his appointtees, including the FCT minister, to end and prevent such early campaigns. Phone calls and text messages to Mr Onanuga did not go through on Wednesday

However, despite Mr Onanuga’s earlier statement, and in breach of Nigeria’s electoral laws, more billboards have appeared in the Nigerian capital advocating for Mr Tinubu’s continuity in power.

The campaign posters appear just as the Nigerian leader prepares to mark his second year in office.

It is not unusual for supporters of incumbent presidents to start campaigning well ahead of time, but it may be unusual for them to do so before a president completes his second year in office.

Former Nigerian presidents formally announced their reelection in the twilight of their third year in office. Erstwhile President Muhammadu Buhari launched his second presidential campaign in April 2018, about three years into his first term, and his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, filed reelection paperwork in November 2014, over three years after his first election as president.

Today, Mr Tinubu’s posters and billboards are displayed in several parts of Abuja, including the Airport Road and the Central Business District, with his supporters urging Nigerians to join the campaign train.

“Your voice can inspire others to join us,” one of the billboards read in part. “Join the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement Today.”

Another poster emblazoned with Mr Tinubu’s picture simply read: “Step Up, Speak Out, Support Tinubu.”

In the Central Business District, the billboards were placed adjacent to the Central Bank of Nigeria with an inscription: “Your Voice Matters.”

In one billboard, Mr Tinubu’s picture was placed next to former Niger Delta militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo. The former militant leader is said to be the Grand Patron of President Tinubu’s Door to Door Movement.

How to stop such billboards before campaign season

Billboards are heavily regulated in Abuja by the FCT Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage (DOAS).

The department has the power to stop the placement of illegal or unapproved billboards in the Nigerian capital.

However, there are no indications that the DOAS is interested in enforcing INEC’s ban on campaigns by putting an end to the president’s billboards across Abuja.

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The Director of the DOAS, Akanimo Udoh, could not be reached for comments on Wednesday. His secretary, Josephine Stephen, said the director was travelling and she was not authorised to speak on the issue.

The DOAS coordinates, regulates and monitors the placement of outdoor advertisements and signage within the FCT. Its primary function is to map out the guidelines, rules, instructions and sanctions about outdoor advertisements and signage in the FCT.

The electoral body, INEC, has a timetable for political campaigns, which usually commences a few months before an election.

While urging the president’s supporters to stop the early campaigns for Mr Tinubu, Mr Onanuga noted that: “Premature campaigning can undermine the integrity of the electoral process and create unfair advantages. As law-abiding leaders, President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima do not support any action that undermines our institutions and the electoral process.”

“When INEC signals that the processes for the 2027 elections can start, President Tinubu will duly inform Nigerians of his plans,” Mr Onanuga said.