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The Oyo State Government has been accused of carrying out an illegal removal of the campaign billboard belonging to the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Governorship Candidate in the state, Olooye Adegboyega Taofeek Adegoke, FCA, and replacing it with that of the African Peoples Movement, APM, in a development the ADC described as “anti-democratic, desperate and lawless.”
In a strongly worded statement issued on Saturday by the Adegoke Media Team, the campaign organization alleged that the billboard located at Idi-Ape Junction in Ibadan, the state capital, which prominently featured the images of Olooye Adegoke and the ADC Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, was forcefully pulled down by agents of the state government and replaced with the billboard of Governor Seyi Makinde, APM Presidential Candidate, APM Governorship Candidate, Mr. Bimbo Adekanmbi, and the APM Akinyele House of Assembly Candidate.
According to the ADC Media Office, Olooye Adegoke had duly paid for the use of the billboard through a registered advertising agency, with the current tenancy valid from May 20 to August 20, 2026.
The team said the illegal removal was carried out in June 2026, barely one month after the billboard fee was renewed for another three months.
“Olooye Adegoke has been using the billboard for a long time without owing the Agency, and the agency is not owing the Oyo State Government any dues,” the statement read.
“The sudden and illegal removal of our Principal’s billboard, alongside that of His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, raises serious questions about the motive behind the act.”
The ADC campaign team alleged that the removal was politically motivated and targeted specifically at the image of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who is also contesting the 2027 Presidential election on the ADC platform.
“It is on record that Governor Makinde is also aspiring to contest the January 2027 Presidential election. The illegal removal of Atiku’s image suggests that the Makinde administration is feeling threatened and intimidated by the rising popularity of the ADC and its Presidential Candidate,” the team alleged.
The Media Team described the action as a clear attempt to suppress opposition visibility ahead of the 2027 general elections and to create an uneven playing field in Oyo State.
In the statement, the ADC warned the Oyo State Government, Governor Makinde, and what it described as “APM goons” to desist from acts capable of undermining democracy and peaceful coexistence in the state.
“You cannot remove our Principal and Atiku’s banner when we have legally paid the advertising agency. We are governed by law. The illegal removal of our billboard is antithetical to democratic values and freedom of expression,” the team stated.
“Are there not enough locations in Ibadanland? Ibadan is the largest city in West Africa. The city can accommodate everybody. So why target and remove our Principal’s billboard?”
The campaign further queried: “Is this how we want to continue to play politics in Oyo State, behaving as if we are in a banana republic? Is the Oyo State Government jittery over the growing acceptability of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Olooye Adegboyega Taofeek Adegoke, FCA?”
The Adegoke Media Team insisted that such acts of political intolerance would not diminish the growing popularity of both Olooye Adegoke in Oyo State and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar nationwide.
“Governor Makinde should not be jittery. He should be ready to face the electorate on the strength of his record. As far as Olooye Adegoke and Alhaji Atiku are concerned, we are sure of victory come 2027,” the statement concluded.
As of press time, the Oyo State Government and the Oyo State Signage and Advertisement Agency had not issued an official response to the allegations.
The incident has, however, sparked fresh debate in political circles in Ibadan over the growing tension ahead of the 2027 elections and the need for all political actors to adhere strictly to the rule of law.
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