2023: Attack issues, not campaign billboards, APGA counsels politicians, others
The Governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Ebonyi State, in the 2023 general election, Professor Benard Ifeanyi Odoh, Tuesday called on politicians and their allies to pursue issue based campaign and desist from destroying his billboards and materials in the State.
This came on the heels of the reported destruction of the APGA Governorship candidate’s billboards and materials in different parts of the State.
He called on the authorities of the Nigeria Police, Ebonyi State Police Command “to immediately commence investigations, arrest and prosecute those suspected to be behind this unlawful conduct. The police must leave no stone unturned in this regard, least they set a wrong example.”
According to the statement: “Ebonyians woke up today, Monday, August 22, 2023 to discover that billboards belonging to the leading Governorship candidate in the 2023 general elections, Professor Benard Ifeanyi Odoh bearing his image and that of his Deputy, Dr. Nkata Chukwu in the Abakaliki capital city and some other parts of the State have been removed in the locations where they had been strategically placed.
“It is now so deplorably shameful that even the mere sight of a candidate’s campaign billboards frightens the Umahi government and its agents even while still wielding power.
The genesis of the mindless attacks on our billboards which occurred last night, Sunday, August 21, 2022 (because we saw it still hanging hours after the professional handlers, Rocana Nigeria Ltd had hung them) was that the State government, obviously jittery of the momentum gained by our consultative engagements in the State so far pasted a “Remove Ads” notices on them.
“The “Remove Ads” was as a result of our advertising handlers refusal to surrender the billboards which we had already paid for to the APC Candidate who had earlier requested for them at all cost.
ROCANA are not in any way and form owing the state government .
As law abiding citizens who understands the place of professional engagements in matters such as this, it was only incumbent that we reach out and inform the advertising agency- Rocana, which has professionally operated in the state and the entire south east in the last few decades about the “remove ads” notices placed by the Ebonyi State Government on the billboards with it’s official seal. They promised to reach the state government and get back to us as soon as practicable.
“Some hours after, we discovered that the billboards have already been torn and removed forcefully, suspectedly by desperate agents of the state government.
Some of the billboards are still hanging, facing downwards and there have been no explanation offered the professional advertising agent- Rocana who has maintained that it has been paying the Ebonyi State Government it’s taxes, dues and other rates as and when due. This to us is an act of cowardice by Governor Umahi and his army of political bandits.
“To prove our fears and suspicion right about the ill-intentions of these dastard and coward actors, we discovered that other places where the same Rocana had billboards of other products were not touched and neither was the same “remove ads” notices placed on them.
“At this juncture, it behooves on us and the entire APGA family as responsible, peace-loving and law abiding political party and citizens to;
“Sound this as a last warning note to the government and it’s agents, particularly it’s multiple armed thugs masquerading as ‘Ebubeagu’ to desist from, I emphasize; avoid being used under any guise or platform to attack APGA campaign materials, members or supporters. For the consequences of any such further attack on the party- campaign materials or humans and the opposition in Ebonyi in general would not be “TOLERATED”
“The youths, whose future and destinies, including those of their children and wards have been terribly destroyed by the inhuman actions and policies of the present-day government should remember that “when the chips are down, their oppressive ’emperor’ would take the next available flight to the countries they have already stashed enough of our collective wealth and resources and abandon them to their fate to sort themselves out.
“Their actions are rather emboldening Ebonyians from across all works of life to ensure that a government that would guarantee the rights to their freedoms as enshrined in our various laws emerge victorious at the polls next year. This is more audacious because there’s often a limit to which a people can endure pains!
“As they plan to instigate crises and unleash terror on the electorates as that is all they allegedly boast of during their secret meetings, the government should remember first and foremost that the oath it swore to protect lives and property of all Ebonyians according to the 1999 Constitution (as amended) have not and will not expire till the 29th day of May 2023 when it shall handover to a newly elected government. More so is the fact that they have no monopoly of violence! “
