APC Candidate Accuses Gov. Obiano Of Ordering Removal Of His Billboard

In apparent move to undermine chances of victory of opposition parties' candidates in favour of candidates of his party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Governor Willie Obiano has allegedly ordered removal of campaign bill-boards of candidates of opposition parties.

Officials of the state Signage and Advertisements Agency, ANSA for instance at the weekend pulled down campaign bill- board of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC for Ogbaru Federal constituency, Hon. Afam Ogene at Obodo- Ukwu junction.

The Director-general of the APC candidate's campaign Organisation, Hon. Francis Ojini said when the ANSA officials were contacted over their action, they said they were under instruction from Government House, Awka to remove the bill-board.

Ojini stated that the ANSA officials, however told them that they should go to Awka to clear with the officials of the state government.

Ogene is the is currently the deputy chairman of the Federal House of Representatives committee on Media and Public Affairs.

But Ojini described the action as deliberately taken to "intimidate and make our candidate unpopular because they know that he is the choice of the entire Ogbaru people because he has performed very well since he went to the House. We have even been told that the Governor has vowed to crush him in the election; that even if he won, he will never be declared winner by the INEC."

Ojini however stated that the curious thing about the removal of Ogene's billboard was that it had been in that location since more than seven month until now Ogene left APGA to APC after  his ambition to seek re-election under the APGA platform was frustrated by the governor who ordered that the ticket should be given to the Speaker of the state Assembly, Princess Chinwe Nwaebili.

In his reaction, an Awka-based blogger, Emeka Odogwu condemned the state government action saying that even if the government felt that there was any payment the candidate ought to pay and he had not done that, he should have been notified and it is after he failed to pay after reasonable period that his billboard could be removed.

He however stated that campaign billboards do not really determine the popularity of a candidate among the electorate as according to him most electorate vote based of the integrity and credibility of the candidate they know.

"The electorate vote for you because of the trust they have in you and not because of how many bill-boards you have in the constituency or how beautiful the bill-boards are. They vote for you only because you can perform, and if you have occupied the seat before, whether you have bill-board or not, they know you, and will vote for you if you performed.