Court fines Adamawa ADC governorship candidate N3m over campaign posters
Yola Court Orders ADC Governorship Candidate to Pay Damages for Poster Violations
YOLA, Adamawa State — The Chief Magistrate Court II has ordered Omar Suleiman, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) gubernatorial candidate in Adamawa State, to pay 3 million Naira in damages for illegally pasting campaign posters on public infrastructures.
The ruling, delivered on Thursday, followed a lawsuit filed by the Adamawa State Ministry of Environment, the Adamawa State Urban Planning Board, and the Attorney General. The court found that Suleiman had placed campaign posters at various strategic locations, including flyovers, which violated an executive order prohibiting such actions.
Governor Ahmadu Fintiri previously issued an executive order banning the placement of campaign materials on public property, particularly on the flyovers in the state capital, Yola. The government cited Suleiman’s display of posters on Unity Bridge in Jimeta as a breach of this order and Section 30(1) of the Environmental Protection Agency Law.
Salihu Muhammad, Senior State Counsel II representing the complainants, welcomed the court’s decision. In response, Suleiman’s attorney, Bala Sanga, indicated that compliance with the ruling would not pose a challenge, as the campaign team had already decided to cease pasting posters on public structures. However, he raised concerns about what he termed the government’s “use of administrative fines to intimidate political opponents.”
In light of the ruling, Suleiman’s campaign team, the Omrana Campaign Organisation, urged supporters to remain calm. Mark Wosi, the organisation’s Director General, issued a statement emphasizing their respect for the legal system and encouraging supporters to be law-abiding.