Residents in Benin City woke up on Sunday morning to find widespread defacement and vandalism of billboards belonging to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate Dr. Asue Ighodalo.
Billboards at several major intersections, including Asoro bus stop, UNIBEN Ekenwan Campus, Agboma junction at Ekenwan road, and Akenzuwa after stadium road junction, were found damaged, according to eyewitness accounts and photographic evidence reviewed by this reporter.
A member of the PDP’s Media Directorate in the Edo State Campaign Council, speaking anonymously, stated that the vandalism had been ongoing for months since Ighodalo won the PDP primary election in February.
“They have been damaging Dr. Asue’s billboards since immediately after he won the PDP Primaries in February, but the man is a very calm man. They are even destroying cars with AI stickers around Upper Sakponba,” the source said. “When we wanted to shout to the press he told us to report to the relevant authorities and replace the billboards. Even now we have been told not to react so we do not heat up the polity.”
The source declined to name any suspects, stating, “we have our suspicions but mentioning names will just heighten tensions in the state. We have reported to the authorities. Let them investigate and bring the culprits to book.”
Contacted by phone, Dr. Ighodalo chose not to comment directly on the vandalism, stating, “I’m on the campaign trail my brother. Let us talk when I get back to town. My singular focus is on how to move the largest amount of Edolites into prosperity. All these other things are distractions. Let me again appeal to everyone – candidates and supporters – not to destroy our state and institutions because of politics.”
The Edo State governorship election is scheduled for September 21, 2024.
