Osun 2026: APC accuses Adeleke Government of intimidation over billboard restrictions

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has accused the state government of imposing restrictions on the use of billboards by the opposition ahead of the 2026 governorship election.

The party, in a statement by the chairman, Tajudeen Lawal on Friday, alleged that the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke had created an uneven playing field for political activities by directing the state’s signage regulatory agency to halt approval for APC campaign billboards in parts of the capital, Osogbo.

Lawal said the directive was targeted at the party and its governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.

According to the statement, “the state government allegedly instructed O’ Signage Agency not to approve the erection or pasting of APC billboards within Osogbo, particularly along the Akoda axis to the Osogbo City Stadium corridor, for a specified period leading to the election.”

The Osun APC chairman, while claiming that the decision amounted to a misuse of incumbency power, added that it was intended to restrict the campaign visibility of the APC candidate.

“The directive is oppressive, unlawful and aimed at stifling opposition activities,” he said.

The APC alleged that the state government had ordered the signage agency to identify owners of existing billboards across Osogbo and compensate them for up to three years per billboard, a move the party described as unusual and politically motivated.

Describing the development as undemocratic, the APC chairman said the party would resist the directive through lawful means.

He stated that the party believed the action was inconsistent with democratic principles and the right of political parties to campaign freely.

Referencing the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, ARCON, formerly known as APCON, the APC noted that the alleged directive was not in line with national advertising regulations governing political communication.

“We want to put all statutory security agencies on notice, including the Police, the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, to be aware of this development,” Lawal said in the statement.

The APC leadership called on the Adeleke administration to reconsider the alleged policy, urging the government to allow all political parties to operate on equal terms ahead of the election.

The party maintained that its governorship candidate would continue preparations for the poll, insisting that no administrative action would prevent participation in lawful campaign activities across the state.

Efforts to get the spokesperson of the Osun State Governor, Olawale Rasheed, to react to the allegation proved abortive as he was not responding to calls made to his phone number.