The attention of the Advertising Practitioners’ Council of Nigeria (APCON) and other regulatory agencies has been drawn to alleged undemocratic and illegal blocking and removal of campaign billboards belonging to Senator Ademola Adeleke, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate in strategic areas of Osun State.

This was contained in a press statement by the Director of the Ademola Adeleke Campaign Organisation, Mallam Olawale Rasheed made available to the journalists in Osogbo, on Thursday.

Adeleke accused the Osun advertising agency, O’Signage of directing all outdoor advertising practitioners in the state not to accept any placement from the PDP Governorship Campaign Organisation.

He further alleged that the state government through the agency had threatened any practitioners who tried to defy the directive with revocation of their operating licences.

The statement reads: “We have it on good authority that the state advertising agency, O-Signage has issued directives to outdoor advertising practitioners in the state not to accept any placement from PDP Governorship Campaign Organisation. Practitioners who tried to defy the directive are threatened with revocation of operating licences.

“The agency has proceeded to pressure the outdoor practitioners to remove existing billboards of Senator Ademola Adeleke and replace them with that of Gboyega Oyetola. Aside, these invidious actions, political thugs have also been prompted to launch attacks on any bill boards bearing Senator Adeleke’s posters across the state.

“The above dictatorial conduct is in clear contravention of the Nigerian Code of Advertising Practice and an evident breach of the act setting up the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON). Level playing field for all clients is a mandatory provision in the APCON Act and the Nigerian constitution guarantees equal access to public display of messages within the ambit of the law. O-Signage is not only setting a dangerous precedent but is acting in wanton disregard of the Constitution and relevant advertising laws in the country,” he said. (New Telegraph)

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