Hoodlums vandalise Tinubu, Kalu campaign billboards in Abia

Suspected hoodlums have vandalised campaign billboards and posters bearing the images of President Bola Tinubu and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State.

The incident reportedly occurred in Bende town, headquarters of the council area and part of the Bende Federal Constituency represented by Kalu in the House of Representatives.

The vandalism comes amid heightened political activities in the constituency ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Kalu, who is seeking another term in the House, secured the All Progressives Congress ticket for Bende Federal Constituency after emerging unopposed in the party’s primary process conducted across the constituency’s 13 wards in May 2026.

The Deputy Speaker has also remained an active supporter of the Tinubu administration, including through support groups promoting the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The latest incident has triggered concerns among APC supporters in the area, particularly as campaign-related activities gradually intensify.

The development comes days after supporters and constituents of the APC staged what they described as a solidarity march for Kalu across communities in the 13 wards of the federal constituency.

The procession, tagged the “Yellow Movement” by Kalu’s supporters, featured placards, solidarity songs and messages backing his return to the House of Representatives.

Supporters cited his legislative activities and constituency interventions as reasons for supporting his re-election bid.

Kalu’s political contest in Bende is expected to attract opposition from other parties and aspirants as the 2027 election approaches.

Many political observers believe the supporters of the Labour Party candidate Chima Anyaso maybe behind the vandalism due to the massive grassroots support for the deputy speaker

The vandalism also comes against the backdrop of a separate controversy over campaign advertising fees introduced by the Abia State Government.

The Abia State government announced in July that presidential candidates seeking to display campaign billboards and posters in the state would pay N200m for a permit. The published schedule also listed N150m for governorship candidates, N100m for senatorial candidates, N50m for House of Representatives candidates and N20m for State House of Assembly candidates.

The APC has publicly criticised the advertising charges, raising concerns over their implications for political campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections.

For now, the vandalism of the Tinubu and Kalu campaign materials has added another development to the increasingly active political environment in Bende, as political parties and aspirants position themselves ahead of the 2027 polls.