Politics:
APC Billboards in Bende: Questions Raised Over Alleged Vandalism
If there is no deliberate effort to undermine the APC in Abia, then serious questions arise over reports that more than 15 billboards displaying the image of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other APC figures have allegedly been vandalised, pulled down or destroyed in parts of Bende. Reports published on September 22 said several APC campaign billboards in Uzuakoli, Bende Local Government Area, had been damaged, although the identities and political affiliations of those responsible have not been independently established.
The concern becomes even more significant amid allegations from APC supporters that campaign materials are being targeted at night. Such claims should be properly investigated rather than settled through political accusations, particularly as the destruction of campaign property can deepen tensions ahead of the 2027 elections. The central question is straightforward: if political parties profess commitment to peaceful competition, should campaign materials belonging to any party be subjected to vandalism or intimidation?
What is happening in Bende therefore deserves transparency, restraint and an impartial investigation. Political competition should be conducted through ideas, policies, persuasion and the ballot not through the destruction of opponents' campaign materials. With political tensions already producing competing allegations between APC and Labour in Bende, all parties and their supporters have a responsibility to protect democratic space and ensure that disagreement does not degenerate into acts of vandalism or confrontation.
