Drama As Senator’s Billboards Removed
Political tensions have erupted in Kwara state over the sudden removal of Senator Saliu Mustapha’s Billboards erected at strategic areas of Ilorin, Kwara state capital by suspected hoodlums.
Meanwhile, the Kwara state government has claimed responsibility for the removal of two of the billboards as the General Manager of Kwara State Signage and Advertising Agency (KWASAA), Alhaji Ismail Asukuti confirmed the incident.
Asukuti said that the billboards in some locations were removed by the agency because of the construction work in the area as well as non-payment of the advertisement fee for the billboards.
Asukuti said, “Senator Mustapha’s billboard in Police ‘A’ division was removed because of the construction work in the area as the company handling the construction work on the overhead bridge had marked that the billboard in that area should be removed while the billboard in Maraba was not paid for by the Senator. This is against the advertising law.” he stressed.
Senator Saliu Mustapha representing Kwara Central in the National Assembly who is one of the strong contenders in the fast-approaching 2027 gubernatorial election, had a few hours earlier announced among others, a donation of N500M to erect a pavilion at the palace of the Emir of Ilorin for use during the annual Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU) meeting.
Mustapha, the Turaki of Ilorin in a veiled campaign for his gubernatorial ambition had erected the billboards in strategic areas of the state capital to congratulate Christians in the state on Christmas celebration which were removed during broad daylight by suspected hoodlums.
The Senator who was a co-launcher at the 59th Annual General Meeting of IEDPU held at the forecourt of the Emir’s Palace on Wednesday, December 25th 2024 had announced a donation of N25 million and an erection of N500million pavilion at the Palace of the Emir for a use by the union so that future meetings would no longer be held in the rented canopy.
Mustapha was represented at the occasion by Alhaji Uthman Ottan the immediate past chairman of IEDPU.
The chief launcher at the event Ambassador Yahaya Seriki donated the sum of N100million to the Union while the state governor, Mallam AbdulRaman AbdulRazaq who was also present at the event promised to complete all projects of the Union that are under construction
However, few hours after the announcement, some billboards erected by the Senator in strategic areas of the city including Taiwo/Unity road junction, Police ‘A’ division, Maraba and the exit gate of Tunde Idiagbon International Airport were removed by the hoodlums.
A trending video which trended across the country on Facebook revealed a young man climbing the iron support of one of the billboards and removing the Christmas message posted on the board.
Political watchers in the state attributed the action to the political rivalry among the chieftains in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the run-up to the 2027 Senatorial and Governorship elections in the state.
A political analyst in the state who craved anonymity told Vanguard Correspondent that what led to the removal of the billboards was the raging silent war between the governor and Senator Mustapha, although they are both members of APC which is the ruling party in Kwara state and the Federal government.
According to him, “the Governor who will end his second term in office in the state wants Turaki’s senatorial ticket in 2027 while the governor won’t give Turaki the guber ticket of the party.”
Media aide to Senator Mustapha, Barrister AbdulKareem Alabi who confirmed the removal of the billboards erected by the Senator in strategic locations in Ilorin however said that the state government should not be linked to the incident.
Abdulkareem said, “The removal of the billboards was perpetrated by some hoodlums, the state government should not be linked with such an incident.
Nevertheless, some Facebook users while commenting on the incident condemned the alleged removal of the billboards from the various locations and called on the law enforcement agencies to investigate those behind the act, and arrest and prosecute them in the law Court.
Some of them attributed the removal of the billboards to dirty politics going on in the state in preparation for the 2027 general elections.
Aliyu Uthman wrote, “We all understand what is going on. It’s all about politics, but I plead to both parties not to cause commotion in this state. God bless Kwara and Nigeria
