More than 50 campaign banners belonging to Dr. Adebayo, a candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), were reportedly removed from major streets in Surulere, Lagos, sparking allegations of selective enforcement and political intimidation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The banners were removed on Monday, August 24, by officials of the Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA), who reportedly cited regulations concerning the use of government-owned poles reserved for licensed advertising practitioners.
The affected banners were displayed along streets including Akerele Road and Ogunlana Drive, among other locations within the Surulere area.
According to Adebayo, the removal came despite the presence of campaign materials belonging to members and supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the same area. She questioned why her campaign materials were targeted while APC-branded banners remained in place.
Adebayo, an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgeon and political candidate who has declared support for the presidential ambition of Peter Obi, described the incident as an attempt to intimidate her campaign.
She reportedly said some of the removed banners were later discovered in hidden locations, further raising questions about the manner in which the exercise was conducted.
The NDC candidate expressed frustration over the financial implications of the removals, noting that she had personally invested substantial resources in producing and installing the campaign materials.
Rather than retreating from the campaign, however, Adebayo vowed to return with even larger banners, signalling that the removal would not deter her political activities.
The development has generated reactions among her supporters, who accused the state authorities of applying signage regulations selectively. They argued that if the removal was strictly based on signage laws, the same standards should apply to campaign materials belonging to all political parties and candidates.
Critics of the action have similarly pointed to what they described as a possible pattern of selective enforcement as political activities begin to intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.
The controversy comes at a time when political parties and prospective candidates are increasingly stepping up public engagement and visibility campaigns across Lagos and other parts of the country.
While signage regulations are ordinarily intended to control outdoor advertising and protect public infrastructure, their application to political campaign materials can become contentious, particularly when supporters perceive unequal treatment between competing political parties.
Adebayo’s case has therefore raised broader questions about whether regulatory agencies are enforcing existing rules impartially or whether political considerations could be influencing enforcement.
Neither the removal of the NDC banners nor the continued presence of APC banners, as alleged by Adebayo and her supporters, by itself establishes discriminatory enforcement. However, the contrasting treatment has intensified calls for transparency and consistency in the application of signage regulations.
As the 2027 election season gradually gathers momentum, political actors and civil society observers are expected to pay closer attention to how state institutions handle campaign activities, particularly in politically competitive states such as Lagos.
For Adebayo, the immediate response is clear: she intends to put up bigger banners and continue her campaign, turning what began as a signage dispute into another test of political space and regulatory neutrality ahead of the elections.
