Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
The Deputy Director, Media and Publicity, Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), State Campaign Management Council (SCMC), Chris Nehikhare yesterday denied that Edo Government banned opposition APC from erecting billboards for the 2023 general election in Edo.
Nekhikhare, who was reacting to the allegation that the state government banned other political parties in the state from erecting campaign billboards across the state, said that the PDP paid for it billboards long ago ahead of the campaigns ànd not the state government.
Nehikhare who also doubles as Edo State Commissioner for Information, said the government did not sponsor or pay for billboards used for political rally.
He noted that the campaign billboards were sponsored and solely paid for a long time ago by the party’s campaign council in the state. He explained that state government was not the owner of billboards adding that government only make policies to regulate and control billboards locations in the state. “In the last 24 hours, we have received several calls from those working in the national dailies talking about the billboard issues especially in Benin City.
It is not a coincidence that elections is around the corner. As far back as about year ago, we made payments for quite a numbers of billboards across in Benin metropolis.
“We did not take possession because we were waiting for the campaigns to kick off and if anybody has gone to pay for the same billboards, it is logical that they go and collect their money back.
“Because the person who paid first, is actually the legal owner of the billboard
“Edo PDP paid for quite a number but certainly not all of them. For example, there is a billboard by the NUJ carrying Labour Party with Chief Patrick Eholor on it. The billboard is still there.
“It is obvious that those that were paid for before we paid. We cannot lay claim to them.And I feel very embarrassed when people come up with sensational headlines, saying “Edo State ban other parties from using billboard,” he said.
According to him, we were able to have the foresight to make payment to acquire the billboards long time ago.
Nekhikhare also added: “We do not own anyone apology who does not have the foresight to do what we have done. The money was contributed by members of the PDP which I am a member, and today, I am a member of the state management campaign council.
“We are the ones who raised the money to pay for the campaign billboard. It is not by the Edo Sate Government. The party was more strategic to plan because the date was obvious to everybody when the election will kick off. We took advantage of the time and made payment for most of these billboards,” he stated.
