Indiscriminate Pasting Of Posters: Fashola Lampoons Jonathan’s Supporters For Removing Adverts

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State on Monday decried indiscriminate posting of President Goodluck Jonathan’s posters on major high ways in the state without paying for advert spaces to advertising firms.

Fashola, who spoke while addressing thousands of supporters at the All Progressives Congress, APC, campaign held at Oworoshoki axis of the state, said the president’s supporters are allegedly removing adverts on Lagos roads and replacing them with Mr. Jonathan’s campaign posters and banners.

“Mr. President and his supporters have taken over those advertising spots. They will come and tell you that it is federal highways, but that is not the point. If you build the highway, the adverts on it belong to the local government anywhere in Nigeria. What has Mr. President done? Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency already had existing contracts with people and private companies who have paid to use the space. But without applying to LASAA, without paying and respect for the existing contractual right of businesses in this country, Mr. President has taken over those places with his posters. Is that not lawlessness? Is that the kind of leaders you want to re-elect? Is that the kind of party you want in power?”

The governor described the development as a breach of the Electoral Act, urging the president to demonstrate what he preaches on election guidelines.

Fashola, who also took a swipe at President Jonathan and his supporters over their alleged demonization of the All Progressive Congress presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, said after rigging the former head of state out in previous elections, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has orchestrated a series of allegations and condemnations.

He pointed out that Gen. Buhari was the only presidential candidate of the APC that stood at the party’s presidential primaries in Lagos last December for over 24hours, saying that would have been impossible if the man was not hale and hearty as rumoured by the PDP.

The governor added: “They have rigged him out three times in the previous elections, but in all those elections they never said he had no certificates. Now that they see that he is going to win, they said he doesn’t have certificates. Tomorrow they will say he is sick. Who is sick among them?

“Buhari’s body is made of steel, he doesn’t drink before he speaks, we know those people that when they represent us abroad they will not show up when they are called to make a speech. Who is sick among the two?”

Also, the APC governorship candidate in Lagos, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, took a swipe at the federal government over the reduction of fuel price from N97 to N87, saying that the PDP cannot pull the wool over the eyes of Nigerians with the reduction coming less than four weeks to the general elections.