Hoodlums vandalise Tinubu 2027 campaign office in Ibadan, group vows to continue

Suspected hoodlums have vandalised the secretariat of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu–Kehinde Olaosebikan Grassroots Movement (PBAT-KO Movement) in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The office is at the CICU Building on Olomi-Olojuoro Road in Oluyole Local Government Area. Campaign banners, boards and other materials were destroyed, and windows were shattered.

Members of the movement found the damage when they came to the office after the incident, according to accounts published by The Nation and Tribune. Both outlets reported that the attack happened on Monday.

The Nation reported that the hoodlums were suspected to be agents of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM). No other outlet confirmed this, and no arrest or formal accusation has been reported. Police have not named any suspect.

Why it matters

The PBAT-KO Movement was set up late last year by Alhaji Kehinde Olaosebikan, a former chairman of Oluyole Local Government. He also chaired the Media and Publicity Committee of the Tinubu/Shettima APC Presidential Campaign Council in Oyo State in 2023.

The group has been mobilising across Oluyole and beyond for President Tinubu's second term ahead of the 2027 election. The Nation described the vandalised office as the only visible campaign office for the President's re-election in the council area.

Attacks on campaign offices are a worry for ordinary residents, who often bear the cost when political tensions spill into their neighbourhoods. Damaged property and heightened rivalry can also raise safety concerns in local communities as campaigning picks up.

Movement says it will not stop

Speaking to journalists at the building, the movement's Publicity Secretary, Comrade Femi Omolola, said the group would not be deterred.

We are undaunted. We are totally committed.

He said Olaosebikan and his followers were committed to tripling President Tinubu's votes in the election, and that the President would defeat his opponents on 16 January 2027.

Omolola also described Tinubu as the most suitable leader for the country and said the All Progressives Congress (APC) is the best organised party in Africa.

What happens next

There is no word yet on whether the police have opened an investigation or made any arrests. The movement has not said whether it reported the incident to the police.

With the 2027 general election drawing closer, Nigerians in Oyo State and elsewhere will be watching whether such incidents are investigated and whether campaigns can go on without fear.