YENAGOA — Just hours after President Bola Tinubu concluded a high-profile visit to Bayelsa State, the streets of Yenagoa became a scene of visible defiance as residents were spotted tearing down posters and billboards bearing the President’s face.
The acts of vandalism followed a one-day visit on Friday during which the President inaugurated several “legacy projects,” including a 60MW gas turbine and the Angiama-Oporoma Bridge. Despite a government-declared work-free day intended to ensure a massive turnout, the atmosphere soured shortly after the presidential motorcade departed for Abuja.
Eyewitnesses reported groups of young men and women systematically stripping campaign materials from walls and streetlights across the state capital. The destruction was often accompanied by chants expressing frustration over the skyrocketing cost of fuel and the general hardship many attribute to the administration’s economic policies.
“The projects he opened today will not put food on our tables tomorrow,” said one resident, who watched as a large billboard was defaced. “He tells us to thank God we are better than Kenya, while we cannot afford to drive our cars or feed our families. We are tired of the promises.”
The incidents in Bayelsa mirror a growing trend of public rejection across the country. In recent weeks, similar reports of residents tearing down 2027 campaign materials have emerged from Kano, Katsina, and Edo states, signaling a deepening disconnect between the presidency and a population struggling with record-high inflation.
While state officials and the Minister of Petroleum (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, have hailed the visit as a success for regional development, the sight of torn posters littering the streets of Yenagoa tells a different story of a citizenry that feels increasingly unheard.
As of Saturday morning, the Bayelsa State Police Command has made no arrests in connection with the destruction of the posters, though security remains tight around major government installations.
