2015: CP dares APC, vows to arrest Lagos officials who remove political posters

Aderanti

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kayode Aderanti, yesterday, vowed that he and his men would invoke the full wrath of the law against any official of the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) who dared to remove political posters from wherever they are pasted.

Addressing journalists at Police Headquarters, Ikeja, Lagos, Aderanti said that the measure became necessary after his office received series of complaints against LASAA by candidates of various political parties about the removal of their campaign billboards and posters purportedly by personnel of the agency.
Aderanti however refused to disclose if the posters and complainants included members of All Progressives Congress (APC) or just other political parties.
Insisting that INEC had lifted ban on political campaigns and LASAA should not truncate peace in the state, Aderanti said: “The Electoral Act 2010 as amended is clear in section 100(2) where it stated inter alia that, ‘State apparatus, including the media shall not be employed to the advantage or disadvantage of any political party or candidate at any election.’ The command wishes to advice LASAA to desist from any act that will call to question its purpose against any political party. It is in the interest of public peace for the agency to allow candidates of all political parties’ equal space to disseminate their campaign messages towards a successful conduct of the general election.”
Many expressed opinion that Aderanti was trending on thin ice, since the State Government, through the Lagos State Trust Fund, used to finance the command, but he apparently did not care, feeling that a violence-free election was paramount. There was also the argument that there was a standing law and order against people defacing Lagos State.
Before meeting with journalists, Aderanti met with area commanders and Divisional Police Officers. According to him, the meeting with his lieutenants was to further direct them to be on the lookout and arrest anybody that attempts to remove any billboard or posters of any candidate of the various political parties under whatever guise, as the Command would not stand by and allow anyone to truncate the forthcoming general elections.
“Let no one, no matter how highly placed, try our resolve to ensure a peaceful and credible electoral process.”
He said, not confronting the issue frontally now, might lead to loss of peace, adding that all parties have the right to solicit for votes and reach out to their supporters through billboards and posters. He explained that removal of such posters, mean infringement on politicians’ rights.
Speaking on negating political violence, Aderanti said: “We have in place, strategies that negate political violence. What we are doing today is to preempt this violence. We have understanding with political parties, that they’ll conduct themselves lawfully. Journalists have a lot to do in ensuring a violence-free election.”
The Public Relations Officer of LASAA, Mr. Tope Akogun when contacted on phone over the statement and threat of Aderanti, said: “I cannot confirm such story on phone. If you can however come to my office and I lay my hands on the copy of the CP’s speech, I would be able to react. If I don’t see what the allegation is all about, either the press release or video coverage of the conference, where then do I extract fact from and base my reaction on?”