Lagos PDP, APC disagree over billboard vandalism

                       In what could be described as bad campaign strategy, supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress have moved from tearing of each others’ posters to the vandalism of billboards in Lagos.

                        Our correspondent learnt that all the flags of the governorship candidate of the PDP, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, along the Third Mainland Bridge were vandalised while those of his APC counterpart, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, were destroyed around Oworonshoki, Ogudu and Ikoyi.

                         Unfortunately, however, some of the vandalised billboards, which are computerised, belong to independent advertising agencies.

Addressing journalists at a press conference in Lagos on Sunday, the Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, said the federal task force were the ones perpetrating the act.

He said the party had lodged several complaints with the police but nothing had been done.

He said the PDP started vandalising APC billboards after the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Cornelius Aderanti, ordered the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency, to abandon its statutory duty of curbing the posting of posters in the state.

He said, “I want to bring to your attention the orchestrated and quite provocative vandalism of APC posters, billboards and banners all over Lagos by thugs and hoodlums sponsored by the PDP. These thugs are masquerading as members of the illegal Federal Task Force in Lagos and have thrown decorum to the wind by the way and manner they are pulling down the posters and billboards of our candidates all over Lagos, even on Lagos State roads.

“We have made appropriate reports to the Lagos State Police Command over this and they have strangely refused to act. Today, the thugs went on the rampage through Gbagada, Third Mainlaind Bridge, Osborne and the island, pulling down APC posters, billboards and banners and replacing same with PDP’s.

“We had expected the police to, at least, pretend to be unbiased and stop this brigandage but alas, they have looked the other way and pretended as if nothing is amiss.”

However, Agbaje in a statement by his Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Felix Oboagwina, said it was the APC and its supporters that were guilty of vandalising the PDP posters. He said Agbaje had been rebuffed by several advertising agencies and radio stations and was, therefore, forced to use outdoor advertising.

The statement read, “Commuters and motorists plying the Third Mainland Bridge could not but be shocked last Friday when confronted by defaced outdoor adverts belonging to Agbaje. His face on the canvasses was painted black. This evil act of vandalism was carried out overnight, flushing good money down the drain.

“Clearly, the desecration bears the signature of the APC, whose body language has been that of intolerance, intimidation, desperation and provocation. Not only has the APC government influenced broadcast stations and advertising agencies to reject advert placements and subscriptions from PDP, it continues to motivate its foot soldiers to assault, deface and eclipse (with APC posters) the posters of opponents.

“APC leaders are also on record as making pronouncements that clearly threaten billboards, posters and banners of opposition parties. Such levels of intolerance can only overheat the polity and provoke a backlash of wildcat reprisals.”