ADC Condemns Adamawa Govt for Suing Its 2027 Governorship Candidate Over Campaign Posters

In a strongly worded statement issued on Tuesday, the ADC described the decision by the Adamawa State Government to sue its governorship candidate, Hon. Aishatu ‘Aishatu’ Binani, over the alleged illegal placement of campaign posters as “a desperate and undemocratic attempt to intimidate the opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.”

The party argued that the move represents a dangerous precedent where state resources are being deployed to harass political opponents rather than focusing on governance and service delivery to the people of Adamawa State.

The Adamawa State Government, through its Attorney-General, filed a suit at the State High Court seeking the arrest and prosecution of Binani and other ADC officials for what it described as the “illegal and indiscriminate” pasting of campaign materials across public spaces in the state capital, Yola, and other major towns.

The government claimed that the posters were placed without proper authorisation and in violation of environmental and urban planning regulations. It also accused the ADC of “defacing public infrastructure” and causing environmental nuisance.

However, the ADC dismissed the allegations as “frivolous and politically motivated,” insisting that the timing of the suit—just months after Binani declared her intention to contest the governorship on the ADC platform,was a clear sign of desperation by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to weaken a strong challenger.

In a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC described the legal action as “an abuse of power and a clear violation of the constitutional rights of citizens to participate in the political process.”

“Rather than focusing on delivering good governance and addressing the numerous challenges facing the people of Adamawa—such as insecurity, youth unemployment, and poor infrastructure—the state government has chosen to expend public resources on persecuting opposition politicians,” the statement read.

The ADC further argued that the selective enforcement of environmental laws against opposition figures while ignoring similar violations by ruling party members exposed a clear bias and abuse of state power.

Bolaji Abdullahi warned that such actions could create a dangerous atmosphere of political intolerance that would undermine the credibility of the 2027 elections.

“If the Adamawa State Government continues on this path of using state institutions to suppress opposition voices, it will only confirm the growing suspicion that the APC is afraid of a free and fair contest in 2027,” he added.

Hon. Aishatu ‘Aishatu’ Binani, a former Senator and one of the most prominent female politicians in the North-East, formally declared her intention to contest the 2027 governorship election on the platform of the ADC earlier this year. Her entry into the race has been viewed as a significant development, given her strong grassroots support and previous performance in the 2023 governorship election, where she came very close to victory before a controversial court judgment.

Political observers believe that her candidacy poses a serious threat to the APC’s hold on power in Adamawa State, especially if she is able to mobilise significant support from both the opposition and disaffected APC members.

The ADC’s condemnation of the Adamawa State Government’s action is the latest in a series of accusations by opposition parties that state institutions are being weaponised against them as the 2027 elections approach.

Similar complaints have been raised in other states where opposition figures have faced arrests, court cases, or administrative hurdles shortly after declaring their political ambitions.

The development also comes at a time when the ADC is still battling legal challenges regarding its registration status following a recent court ruling that temporarily vacated its recognition by INEC. The party has appealed the judgment and is confident of a favourable outcome at the appellate court.

As the political temperature continues to rise across the country, the Adamawa situation is being closely watched by political stakeholders, who see it as an early test of the willingness of ruling parties at the state level to allow genuine democratic competition.

For now, the ADC has vowed to provide full legal support to Hon. Aishatu Binani and has called on all democratic forces in Adamawa State to resist what it described as “the emerging culture of political persecution.”