Abia LP accuses government of removing campaign billboards despite making prescribed payments

The Abia State Labour Party (LP) has accused the state government and its agents of illegally removing the party’s campaign billboard that, it stated, was erected along the Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway at Umuikaa junction.

The LP decried the development in a statement issued by the Spokesman of Alex Otti Campaign Organisation, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma.

Labour Party

“We are also aware that licenced vendors we contracted also paid the government all fees required to use their billboards for advertisements in Abia.”

ABSAA, last month, announced the imposition of an N10 million fee pre-payable by guber candidates in the state to display their campaign billboards and posters.

The LP claimed that its billboard was removed despite the recent statement it issued accusing the state government of instigating un-provoked acts of political violence and suggesting that the state government should be held responsible if acts of political violence erupted in the state.

According to the statement, it is possible that because the party did not retaliate against previous provocative acts of lawlessness, perpetrators are now motivated to repeat the same thing by removing their billboards.

Ekeoma, however, pointed out that the LP press statement and appeals are not signs of cowardice or weakness, but well intended measures to re-assure Abians of its pro-people peaceful disposition, as well as draw the attention of the public to the unfortunate development to set the record straight for future references.

“We hope that those presiding over affairs of Abia, and who is responsible for this desperation-induced violence, would quickly realise that tomorrow is heavily pregnant and that there’s life outside politics. They must, therefore, retrace their steps for the sake of our state and our people,” Ekeoma said.