Adamawa warns political parties against defacing public infrastructure with campaign posters
Adamawa State Government has warned political parties, aspirants and their supporters against pasting campaign posters on public infrastructure, declaring that offenders will face prosecution as it intensifies enforcement of laws protecting public assets.
The warning was issued on Thursday by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri during a press briefing in Yola, where he said the indiscriminate use of flyovers, bridges, public buildings, streetlights, road medians and other government-owned facilities for political advertisements would no longer be tolerated.
According to him, the government’s position is based on existing laws prohibiting the defacement of public property and is not targeted at any individual, political party or candidate.
He said public infrastructure, constructed with taxpayers’ money, was meant to serve the public interest and should not be converted into campaign billboards.
The spokesman noted that the government’s resolve had recently been strengthened by a court judgment in which a political candidate was found guilty of violating the law and ordered to pay a ₦3 million fine.
He described the ruling as a significant affirmation that no individual is above the law and that public property enjoys legal protection.
“The judgment confirms that the law is enforceable and that the government has both the authority and the determination to protect the collective assets of the people of Adamawa State,” he said.
The government maintained that preserving infrastructure was as important as constructing it, stressing that urban renewal could only be sustained through discipline, civic responsibility and respect for public spaces.
It argued that allowing indiscriminate poster campaigns on newly constructed roads, bridges and flyovers would undermine investments made with public funds.
The Chief Press Secretary said the administration had therefore ended what he described as the era of impunity, warning that enforcement would be carried out without fear or favour.
He emphasised that members of both the ruling and opposition parties would be treated equally under the law, adding that political influence, public office or personal connections would not shield violators from prosecution.
While reaffirming that political participation is guaranteed under the Constitution, he said the illegal use of public infrastructure for campaign purposes was not.
The government advised political parties and candidates to make use of approved billboards, designated advertising spaces, newspapers, radio, television, digital platforms and other lawful channels for electioneering.
He disclosed that Governor Fintiri had directed relevant ministries, departments, agencies and law enforcement authorities to intensify surveillance across the state and prosecute anyone found defacing public infrastructure.
According to him, the recent court judgment demonstrates that the government is prepared to back its warnings with legal action.
The government also appealed to residents to join efforts to protect public assets, describing roads, bridges, flyovers and other public facilities as collective investments that must not become victims of political competition.
It reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to enforcing the law fairly and consistently while safeguarding infrastructure built with the resources of the people of Adamawa State.