A dispute has erupted in Oyo State after outdoor advertising practitioners accused the Oyo State Signage and Advertisement Agency (OYSAA) of politically motivated billboard demolitions, an allegation the agency has strongly denied.
The controversy followed claims by a billboard owner, Adeyemi, who alleged that his “Steady Power” advertising structure was demolished after he declined to mount a campaign banner for the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM).
“My ‘Steady Power’ billboard was destroyed after I refused to mount an APM campaign banner,” Adeyemi alleged, sharing photographs of the demolished structure.
Other practitioners also claimed that campaign banners belonging to the All Progressives Congress (APC) had been torn down and that operators were being pressured to prioritise advertisements linked to the ruling party.
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However, OYSAA has dismissed the allegations as false and misleading.
Responding to the claims, agency consultant Olabode Ajetunmobi insisted that the enforcement action had “absolutely zero connection to political campaigns.”
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“This is a deliberately misleading narrative designed to cover up gross regulatory violations. Let us stick to the facts: this enforcement has absolutely zero connection to political campaigns,” Ajetunmobi said.
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He maintained that the affected practitioner was not displaying any political advertisement at the time, describing the claim that the demolition was linked to the rejection of an APM banner as “completely fabricated.”
According to him, the billboard was removed because it violated approved specifications.
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“The enforcement action was taken due to severe compliance breaches. We challenge this practitioner to publicly show the specifications of their former board versus what was actually erected. The current structure deviates entirely from what was officially approved,” he said.
Ajetunmobi further alleged that the operator had another billboard listed as “under construction” in official records despite already displaying an advertisement on the site.
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“This same practitioner is actively misleading the agency. They have another billboard site officially documented as ‘under construction’ on paper to evade regulatory compliance and billing, yet that exact board is already carrying an active advertisement,” he alleged.
Defending the agency’s operations, Ajetunmobi said OYSAA’s mandate was to regulate the outdoor advertising industry and ensure public safety, not to engage in politics.
“OYSAA’s mandate is to sanitise the outdoor advertising space, not play politics. Dismantling heavy, illegal or non-compliant structures is standard procedure and is executed at night strictly for public safety. We will not be blackmailed by false victimisation claims,” he said.
The conflicting claims have fuelled calls from industry practitioners for an independent investigation to determine whether the demolitions were purely regulatory or politically motivated as political activities ahead of the 2027 elections gather pace.
