Posters bearing the image of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that had dominated sections of Abuja, particularly the Airport Expressway, have been removed, weeks after they sparked controversy over alleged premature campaigning ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Checks along the City Gate through Lugbe and Gosa to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport showed that the campaign-style posters were no longer on display. The billboards and streetlight poles that once carried the president’s images have since been replaced with commercial advertisements and notices for religious programmes.
The posters first appeared several months ago, triggering widespread criticism from members of the public, civil society organisations and election observers who questioned their timing and legality. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had repeatedly warned that early campaign activities violate electoral laws.
At the height of the controversy, the Presidency distanced itself from the displays, insisting that President Tinubu did not authorise or endorse any campaign materials ahead of the 2027 polls. In April, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stated that while the President and Vice President Kashim Shettima appreciated the support of their followers, they did not support any action that contravenes the law.
A visit to the Airport Road this week confirmed the absence of the posters, restoring the corridor’s usual commercial outlook. Traders, transport operators and pedestrians along the route said they noticed the removal but could not identify who carried it out or exactly when it happened.
Malam Sani Abdullahi, a trader at Gosa, said he observed people taking down the posters during the day but could not say who they were. Another trader, Aisha Musa, said the disappearance happened quietly without drawing attention.
An okada rider operating near the City Gate, Ibrahim Lawal, said the removal did not appear to have any political undertone, noting that those involved did not wear political insignia.
The development also generated reactions on social media, with users offering differing accounts of how and when the posters were taken down. Some claimed the exercise was carried out at night, while others suggested it occurred earlier in the week.
The removal comes amid renewed calls by civil society groups for stricter enforcement of electoral laws to curb early campaigning and ensure fairness ahead of the 2027 elections. Although questions remain over who ordered the action, the once-prominent Tinubu posters have now vanished from one of Abuja’s busiest highways.
Reacting to the development, the Deputy Director of Publicity at INEC, Wilfred Osilama Ifogah, said the issue does not fall within the commission’s immediate concern, as campaigns for the 2027 elections have not commenced.
According to him, INEC had previously engaged political stakeholders on the dangers of premature campaigning and made its position clear. He noted, however, that while the law warns against early campaigns, it does not expressly outline specific sanctions for such actions.
