A senior aide to presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has launched a scathing on the ruling All Progressives Congress, alleging that the party prioritizes the protection of campaign billboards over the safety of ordinary Nigerians. Demola Olarewaju, who serves as an aide to the African Democratic Congress candidate for the 2027 presidential election, made the accusations amid growing concerns about security resource allocation across the country.
The allegations emerged following reports from Edo State, where police officers were allegedly deployed to guard campaign billboards featuring President Bola Tinubu along Ring Road. According to local witnesses cited in social media reports, uniformed officers have been observed taking shifts to protect the advertising materials from vandalism. The claim has sparked renewed debate about the appropriate use of law enforcement resources in a nation grappling with widespread security challenges.
Olarewaju used the social media platform X to voice his concerns, arguing that the incident exemplifies a broader pattern of misplaced priorities within the ruling party. His statement suggested that the APC focuses more on fortifying its political position and protecting campaign infrastructure than deploying security personnel to address the safety needs of Nigerian citizens. The aide’s comments reflect growing frustration among opposition figures about what they perceive as the politicization of state security apparatus.
Central to Olarewaju’s criticism is his characterization of President Tinubu’s political philosophy. He argued that the current administration represents a brand of politics driven by the pursuit of power rather than substantive policy development. According to the opposition aide, this approach constitutes a fundamental mistake that Nigerian voters should reject when they head to the polls in 2027. The statement positions the upcoming election as a referendum on governance priorities and the proper role of state institutions.
Broader context reveals that Nigeria continues to face significant security challenges across multiple regions, with citizens in various states experiencing threats from banditry, kidnapping, and communal violence. Critics of the current administration have frequently questioned resource allocation decisions, arguing that security forces remain overstretched and underfunded in areas where civilian protection is most needed. Against this backdrop, allegations of police deployment for billboard protection carry particular symbolic weight.
As Nigeria approaches the 2027 electoral cycle, tensions between the ruling party and opposition forces appear to be escalating. Olarewaju’s statement signals that security governance and the proper deployment of state resources will likely emerge as major campaign themes. Whether voters ultimately embrace the opposition’s critique or maintain confidence in the current administration’s approach will shape not only the election outcome but also the future direction of security policy across Africa’s most populous nation.
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