By Prevail Inegbenose
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has raised concerns over what it described as the overwhelming presence of President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) on billboards across Abuja, arguing that the development raises questions about the fairness of the political environment ahead of the 2027 general election.
The ADC spokesperson made the complaint on Monday during a press briefing in Abuja, where he said the assessment of whether the 2027 election would be free and fair should begin well before election day.
He specifically drew attention to the visibility of political advertising in the Federal Capital Territory, saying residents and visitors arriving through the city’s entry points were predominantly confronted with billboards promoting Tinubu and the APC.
“From the airports to the city centres, the only billboards we see are those of the ruling party,” the spokesperson said, questioning whether the absence of comparable opposition advertising meant that opposition parties were being denied a level playing field.
He said the issue went beyond the conduct of voting on election day, arguing that the conditions under which political parties operate during the period leading to the election should also form part of any assessment of electoral integrity.
According to him, opposition parties should be able to campaign, hold meetings, advertise their candidates and mobilise supporters without intimidation or undue restrictions.
“The election is not free and fair if opposition parties cannot campaign freely, if the opposition parties cannot hold their meetings freely,” he said.
“If we cannot advertise our candidates or our political party, the election is not free and fair.”
The ADC spokesperson also raised concerns over the cost of political billboards, referring to laws and regulations in some states which, he claimed, could require political advertisers to pay as much as N400 million for billboard-related approvals.
He argued that such financial and regulatory barriers could further limit the ability of opposition parties to compete for public visibility with the ruling party.
“We have written history notes that the election of 2027 is already being undermined by access that is being denied opposition political parties,” he said.
The party therefore called on election observers and institutions responsible for assessing the credibility of the 2027 election to begin documenting conditions surrounding political participation now, rather than waiting until election day to assess whether voting was properly conducted.
“You have to start to document what is happening today,” the spokesperson said, adding that electoral fairness should also take into account whether candidates and their supporters can operate freely and whether security agencies perform their duties impartially.
He further argued that the extensive visibility of APC and Tinubu campaign materials in Abuja was evidence, in the party’s view, that the political playing field was already tilted.
“There are opposition political parties in Nigeria. This already has tilted the field against the opposition,” he said.
“When you say provide a level playing ground, the ground is no longer level. The ground has been tilted against the opposition political parties.”
The ADC’s comments come as political parties position themselves ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the party itself emerging as a major opposition platform.
The spokesperson maintained that the party would continue to raise concerns about the conditions surrounding the election before voting day, saying the credibility of the process should not be determined solely by whether electoral materials arrive on time or whether polling-day incidents are recorded.
