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The People’s Action Party (APP) has raised the alarm over an alleged plan by the chairmen of Ideato North and Ideato South local government areas in Imo State, Chukwunonso Okpareke and Okwara Okechukwu, also known as Morocco, to demolish election and solidarity placards belonging to House of Representatives member Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere and other APP candidates, despite an existing court order prohibiting such action.
The party described the alleged plan as illegal and provocative, warning that it could lead to a breach of the peace. He said the affected billboards, including those belonging to Ugochinyere, APP candidates in Ideato North and South State Assembly constituencies and APP senatorial candidate, Hon. Rufus Omeire, as well as the solidarity placards for the heads of security agencies, had been validly approved, fully paid for and legally installed.
The warning is contained in a statement signed by the Hon. APP and GDF Ideato Federal Constituency Media Coordinator Charles Okafor, who said the party had drawn the attention of security agencies and the public to what he described as impending criminal action by the two council chairmen. He said receipts of payments made to the Imo State Government signage agency, the court order protecting the billboards and the confirmation copy of the petition to the security agencies were available as evidence.
According to Okafor, the alleged plan is to destroy the billboards within the next five days, despite valid court orders prohibiting such action.
He said the billboards were fully paid for as required under the Imo State Signage Agency Act, which is responsible for approving the location of billboards, collecting revenue and carrying out other regulatory functions.
The APP Media Coordinator said the affected installations include solidarity billboards for security agencies, billboards for APP, billboards for the party’s Ideato South and Ideato North State House candidates, Ogugua Mbadiwe and Marcus Ibekwe, respectively, as well as those of APP’s Ideato Federal Constituency candidate Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere and APP’s senatorial candidate Hon Rufus Omeire.
He said receipts of billboard payments made to the signage agency, the court order prohibiting anyone from touching the billboards and the confirmation copy of the petition bringing the alleged planned criminal action to the attention of security agencies had also been attached.
“Our security agencies and personnel are also made aware of this notice to ensure that no criminal elements are involved in the illegal destruction of the billboards, which were all legitimately paid for and installed by law, and to ensure that no one violates the order of the Court in any capacity,” Okafor said.
He added that if those affected feel aggrieved by the court order, they should approach the court that issued it to appeal the decision rather than resort to self-help.
“Our attorneys have also been placed on standby to bring contempt proceedings against anyone who destroys our legitimate billboards and to file a personal lawsuit for financial damages against anyone who authorizes or engages in their destruction,” he said.
The APP statement came in the context of an interim injunction issued by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja prohibiting the Imo State Government, various security agencies and the chairmen of Ideato North and Ideato South LGAs from interfering with rallies, meetings and other civic activities in Ugochinyere, as well as destroying or removing its billboards.
The judicial action
The federal lawmaker had filed the suit after the Imo State Government issued a directive in a letter dated June 15, 2026, limiting it to a maximum of six billboards in its Ideato North and South federal constituency ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Justice Kayode Agunloye issued the interim injunction on July 20 following an ex parte application made by Ugochinyere through his lawyer, Chibuzor Ezike, in suit no. FCT/HC/CV/153/2026. The order was signed by the judge and notarized by the court clerk, Hannatu Simon.
Ugochinyere, a member of the opposition Action Peoples Party, represents the Ideato North/South federal constituency in the House of Representatives.
Although the lawmaker was named as the sole plaintiff, 11 defendants were identified in the suit. These include the Nigeria Police Force, Inspector General of Police, State Security Service (SSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, Imo State Signage and Publicity Agency, Chairmen of Ideato North and Ideato South LGAs, the Commissioner of Police in Imo State, the Director of SSS in the state and the Imo State Command of the NSCDC.
In the interim order, Justice Agunloye restrained the defendants, their agents, officers, staff or anyone acting on their behalf from “destroying, dismantling, defacing, cutting or ordering the removal and/or demolition” of hoardings and signage installed by Ugochinyere in Ideato North and South Federal Constituency of Imo State.
The judge also restrained the defendants from “stopping, impeding, denying access to, isolating or obstructing the appellant and/or his supporters” from using venues for peaceful demonstrations, processions, campaigns, meetings and other civic activities within the Ideato Federal Constituency or elsewhere in Imo State pending the decision on the motion for notice.
It equally restrained the defendants from infringing or violating the “inalienable rights of expression, peaceful assembly and movement or from erecting or installing signage or billboards within the Ugochinyere federal constituency of Ideato or Imo State” for any reason.
The court also restrained the security agencies listed as defendants from “giving effect to, enforcing, executing or implementing the letter dated 15 June 2026 or any other similar letter” by limiting the number of billboards of the lawmaker to six.
Security agencies were also prevented from providing security cover to anyone attempting to destroy or remove billboards in support of the June 15 letter.
Justice Agunloye ordered an expedited hearing of the substantive case and directed that summons, notices of hearing and other judicial processes be served on the affected defendants through specified offices, including the Office of the Attorney General of Imo State, the Legal Department of the Nigeria Police Force, the SSS Headquarters and the NSCDC Headquarters in Abuja.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter to July 28 to consider the motion for notice of an interlocutory injunction.
News Point Nigeria gathered that when the matter surfaced on July 28, the court held that the defendants still had the time allowed by law to file their responses and were therefore entitled to be heard in defense of the case.
However, Ugochinyere, through his lawyer, urged the court to extend the interim order during the court’s vacation period, arguing that the defendants were not ready to proceed with the application for an interlocutory injunction.
The Court’s ruling
In his ruling, Justice Agunloye extended the interim order to remain in force until the next adjourned date and further adjourned the case to November 4 for hearing.
In this context, Okafor argued that any attempt to destroy, dismantle or deface the billboards would amount to a violation of the existing court order and would attract legal consequences.
“The electoral law prohibits this kind of behavior, which cannot make anyone popular. The sign law also prohibits it, and the Court has also put restraints on these people. Any act of aggression against our property will be treated as a purely criminal action, involving those who act outside the law, with the corresponding consequences,” he said.
The APP media coordinator then called on security agencies to intervene before the alleged plan causes a breakdown in law and order, insisting that the party’s billboards were legitimately paid for, approved and installed.
