The Allied Peoples Movement has formally petitioned the police, the Department of State Services, and the electoral umpire over the systematic destruction of opposition campaign posters across Lagos State, warning authorities against turning state signage agencies into partisan enforcement arms.
The party’s petition follows a major constitutional lawsuit filed before the Abia State High Court (Suit No. HC/214/2026) by Oyo State Governor and APM presidential standard-bearer, Engr. Seyi Makinde, alongside the party, against Abia State Governor Alex Otti.
That suit, led by senior advocate Musibau Adetunbi, challenges a contentious ₦200 million outdoor signage levy imposed on presidential candidates wishing to mount campaign materials in Abia.
In an official intervention issued in Lagos on Monday, APM State Publicity Secretary Ayodele Kazeem Olalekan warned that the harassment of opposition candidates through predatory municipal levies and street-level vandalism threatens the foundation of multi-party democracy ahead of the 2027 polls.
The party demanded that the Lagos State Police Command, the DSS, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Independent National Electoral Commission immediately investigate reports of armed thugs and personnel linked to the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency pulling down opposition materials.
“APM Lagos is concerned by reports alleging that persons described as thugs have been involved in tearing down or defacing opposition campaign posters and materials in parts of Lagos,” Olalekan stated. “There are also allegations that some persons identified as LASAA workers may have been involved in, or assisted with, the removal or destruction of opposition campaign materials.”
Olalekan clarified that while outdoor advertising falls within residual state regulations, administrative powers cannot override the 1999 Constitution or federal statutes.
Section 99(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 is explicit on the issue:
“State apparatus including the media shall not be employed to the advantage or disadvantage of any political party or candidate at any election.”
The APM argued that astronomical fees—such as the ₦200 million charged in Abia—serve as an unconstitutional barrier to public visibility.
Under Section 92(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, the statutory ceiling on presidential campaign spending is capped at ₦10 billion nationwide.
If every state and the Federal Capital Territory were to enforce comparable ₦200 million rates, advertising permits alone would gobble up over ₦7.4 billion—more than 70 percent of a candidate’s total legal spending limit before factoring in transport, security, logistics, and party polling agents.
The party stressed that Paragraph 15(f), Part I of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution vests overarching powers in INEC to monitor and govern political campaigns, while Section 95(4) of the Electoral Act expressly bars state agencies from obstructing rallies, meetings, or public candidate outreach.
Olalekan cautioned that while environmental sanitation and municipal aesthetics remain valid concerns, uniform rules must apply across the board without shielding ruling party displays while stripping opposition banners off street light poles and road verges.
“A level playing field is not a favour to any political party,” Olalekan insisted. “It is a requirement of a credible democratic process.”
