2027 Election: Tinubu's Campaign Posters Littered Around Abuja Roads Suddenly Disappear

• Posters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu disappeared from Abuja roads amid debate over premature campaigning
• Traders, residents and social media users reported mixed reactions and could not identify those who removed the posters
• INEC and the Presidency distanced themselves from the posters while civil society called for stricter enforcement of electoral laws

FCT, Abuja - Posters bearing the image of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which had flooded the busy Airport Expressway and other locations in Abuja have suddenly disappeared.

This is coming amid debate over premature campaigning ahead of the 2027 general elections.

As reported by Daily Trust, the campaign-style posters, which initially dotted the stretch from the City Gate to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and other strategic locations, were no longer visible as of this week.

Instead, spaces previously occupied by the president’s images have been taken over by commercial advertisements and posters announcing religious programmes.

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The posters appeared several months ago, triggering public debate and criticism, with many Nigerians, civil society organisations and electoral observers questioning their timing and legality.

The controversy was heightened by repeated warnings from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that early campaigning contravenes the law.

Presidency distances itself from the posters

INEC has consistently frowned on premature campaigns. Amid the controversy generated by the posters, the Presidency repeatedly distanced itself from the displays, insisting that President Tinubu neither authorised nor endorsed any campaign materials ahead of the 2027 polls.

In April, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said:

"While President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima greatly appreciate their teeming and loyal supporters across the country for their enthusiasm and continuing support, the two leaders do not support any campaign that breaches the laws of the land."

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Mixed reactions from traders and residents

A visit by Daily Trust along the Airport Road this week showed a clear absence of the president’s posters from the City Gate through Lugbe and Gosa corridors down to the airport.

Billboards and lamp posts that once carried the images now display adverts for telecommunications companies, real estate firms and upcoming religious programmes, Vanguard reported.

Some traders, commercial motorcyclists (okada riders) and passersby operating along the corridor who were spoken with could not identify the individuals responsible for removing the posters.

Malam Sani Abdullahi, a roadside trader at Gosa, said:

"I don’t know who removed them, but I saw some people taking them down in the afternoon, like normal workers. They were not wearing any political shirts."

Another trader, Aisha Musa, who sells bottled water around the Shoprite area, said:

"We just noticed one day that the posters were no longer there."

An okada rider, Ibrahim Lawal, operating between Kuchigoro and Karomajiji near the City Gate, added:

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"I can’t tell whether it was during the day or night, but this is where we spend most of our time. If those who removed them had done it openly with political displays, we would have noticed. They did not wear any politically distinctive clothing."

Social media reacts to the disappearance

Social media users also took to X (formerly Twitter) to comment on the disappearance of the posters, offering varying accounts and interpretations of how and when they were removed.

One user, John Ezeakolam (@JohnEzeakolam), wrote that the posters were taken down late at night. Another, KRISSNIVU (@DonChrisnivu), claimed:

"From Monday, Nov. 10, all Tinubu posters and banners on the Abuja Airport Road have been removed. Is this about @realDonaldTrump warning to Nigeria? All the streetlight poles had his posters from the international airport to the National Stadium, Abuja."

Similarly, Paul Ofuokwu (@Flexible4Obidient) described the development as an aftermath of political pressure, suggesting the removal occurred during the night.

Civil society calls for stricter enforcement

The development comes amid growing calls by civil society groups for stricter enforcement of electoral laws to prevent early campaigns and ensure a level playing field ahead of the 2027 elections.

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For now, the once-controversial Tinubu posters have vanished from one of Abuja’s most prominent highways, restoring the corridor’s usual commercial outlook but leaving questions about who ordered their removal.

INEC reacts to poster removal

Reacting to the removal, the Deputy Director, Publicity, of INEC, Wilfred Osilama Ifogah, said the development does not fall within the immediate concern of the commission, noting that it is not yet time for campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections.

"INEC doesn’t have issues with that," he said.

He added that the commission had previously engaged political stakeholders on the dangers of premature campaigning and clarified its position.

"A few months back, INEC had a roundtable engagement with stakeholders on the issue of premature campaigning and the position of the law," he explained.

According to Ifogah, while the law does not explicitly provide sanctions for early campaigning, political actors were warned against such actions.

On whether the removal could be linked to the stakeholders’ engagement, he said:

"I can’t say if it’s the outcome of the meeting."

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Previously, Legit.ng reported that Senator representing Abia South Senatorial District, Enyinnaya Abaribe, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not secure re-election in the 2027 presidential contest, citing widespread hardship and growing public dissatisfaction.

According to the lawmaker, Nigerians were increasingly determined to prevent Tinubu from returning for a second term due to the economic situation and lingering insecurity across the country.

Source: Legit.ng