Screenshot of the claim
Claim: A viral Facebook post claims that the Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, said he only wants to see President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 banner in the state.
Full Text
As political activities gradually build ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, claims about campaign restrictions have begun circulating on social media.
One such claim appeared as “breaking news” on Facebook on 14 March 2026, posted by a page named Erong Jnr. The post featured a graphic with a photo of Governor Okpebholo.
The caption reads: “The Only Banner We Want To See In Edo Is Asiwaju 2027. If We See Other Political Parties’ Posters, There Will Be Trouble – Gov. Okpebholo Warns.”
The post suggests the governor is threatening opposition parties and restricting political expression in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
As of 25 March 2026, the post had attracted 26 reactions and 51 comments, with the poster urging users to share it.
Screenshot of the post on Facebook
While some users criticised the governor, others questioned the authenticity of the claim.
Given the weight of the statement and the office involved, we verified the claim.
Verification
A keyword search of the quoted statement returned no reports from credible Nigerian news outlets. Instead, the claim appeared only on social media platforms.
A statement of this nature, suggesting threats against opposition parties by a sitting governor, would likely have received wide national coverage. No such coverage exists.
Checks on official channels of the Edo State Government across Facebook, Instagram and X showed no record of the statement.
Similarly, the Edo State Signage and Advertising Agency (ESSAA), responsible for regulating outdoor advertising in the state, has not issued any directive restricting political banners to a single party.
We also found that the graphics circulating the claim do not cite any news organisation or indicate where or when the alleged statement was made. These are common signs of fabricated content.
Conclusion
There is no evidence that Governor Okpebholo said only Asiwaju 2027 banners should be displayed in Edo State. The claim is only found on social media platforms without any credible source of evidence to back it up.
