Residents woke up Sunday morning in Benin City to the troubling sight
of widespread defacement and vandalization of billboards belonging to
the PDP Governorship candidate Dr. Asue Ighodalo.
Billboards at Asoro bus stop, UNIBEN Ekenwan Campus, Agboma junction
at Ekenwan road opposite Mat-Ice, and Akenzuwa after stadium road
junction were just a few of the completely seen first hand by this
reporter out of many others seen in photographs.
A member of the PDPโs Media Directorate in the Edo State Campaign
Council, who insisted on speaking anonymously, stated that the
vandalization had been going on for months.
โThey have been damaging Dr. Asueโs billboards since immediately after
he won the PDP Primaries in February, but the man is a very calm man.
They are even destroying cars with AI stickers around Upper Sakponba.
When we wanted to shout to the press he told us to report to the
relevant authorities and replace the billboards. Even now we have been
told not to react so we do not heat up the polity. Dr. Asue only wants
to focus on issues, so that is what we will continue to do.โ
Asked who they suspect was behind the vandalization, the source
responded โwe have our suspicions but mentioning names will just
heighten tensions in the state. We have reported to the authorities.
Let them investigate and bring the culprits to book.โ
When contacted via phone, Dr. Ighodalo declined to speak on the
matter. โIโm on the campaign trail my brother. Let us talk when I get
back to town. My singular focus is on how to move the largest amount
of Edolites into prosperity. All these other things are distractions.
Let me again appeal to everyone – candidates and supporters – not to
destroy our state and institutions because of politics.โ
The Edo State governorship election is slated to hold on September 21st 2024.
