The Ogun State Signage and Advertisement Agency has warned political parties and candidates participating in the 2027 elections against erecting campaign billboards without obtaining the required approvals and making the necessary payments.
The agency threatened to remove any billboard erected in violation of its regulations and sanction those responsible, regardless of the political party or candidate involved.
The General Manager of OGSAA, Fola Onifade, issued the warning on Tuesday while speaking with journalists at his office in Abeokuta, the state capital.
Onifade disclosed that the agency had commenced the removal of illegally erected political billboards across the state, stressing that only advertisements that had been properly approved and paid for would be allowed to remain.
He said the agency subjected political billboards to scrutiny before taking enforcement action, noting that approval alone was not sufficient where the required payment had not been made.
“We don’t remove billboards that have been approved and paid for; we only remove the ones not approved. There was a case where a billboard had been approved, but payment had not been made. Such a billboard was removed,” Onifade said.
The OGSAA boss also disclosed that some political candidates had paid advertising practitioners for billboard placements, but the practitioners failed to remit the required fees to the agency.
According to him, such billboards would still be removed once the non-compliance was discovered.
“Candidates make payments, but their practitioners refuse to pay. Once we detect this, we remove such billboards regardless of the political party,” he stated.
Onifade therefore advised political parties and candidates to ensure that their advertising practitioners obtain the necessary approvals and complete all payments before erecting campaign billboards.
He said compliance with OGSAA regulations would save candidates from having their campaign materials removed and ensure that outdoor political advertising was carried out within the provisions of the law.
The general manager also dismissed allegations that the agency was deliberately preventing opposition parties from erecting campaign billboards ahead of the 2027 elections.
“We don’t block any opposition billboards. We have given many approvals to opposition parties,” he stated.
He urged political parties, candidates and advertising practitioners to liaise with the agency and ensure strict compliance with the applicable regulations as political campaigns and outdoor advertisements gather momentum ahead of the 2027 elections.
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