Banex Plaza Traders Reportedly Reject Tinubu, APC Campaign Banner in Abuja

Traders at the popular Banex Plaza in Abuja have reportedly rejected a campaign banner bearing the image of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the logo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), according to a video circulating on social media on Wednesday.

The video showed the banner spread on the ground in the plaza’s courtyard, with a group of traders gathered around it in what appeared to be a disagreement over its presence at the commercial centre.

In the footage, the person recording the incident was heard making comments suggesting that the traders were unwilling to accept the banner.

“Dem no gree allow Tinubu banner for Banex Plaza, they don’t want Tinubu,” the voice said in Nigerian Pidgin.

Another voice was also heard expressing opposition, saying, “We don’t need Tinubu o.”

The footage has drawn attention to the political sentiments being expressed by some individuals at the popular commercial hub as political activities and discussions gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general election.

However, the circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear. The video alone does not establish who brought the banner to the plaza, why it was placed on the ground, or whether the reactions captured represented the position of traders across the entire market.

There was also no independently verified information accompanying the footage to establish whether the incident was connected to an organised APC campaign or a disagreement over the display of political materials within the plaza.

Banex Plaza is a well-known commercial centre in Abuja, attracting traders, business owners and customers from different parts of the Federal Capital Territory and beyond. The reported incident has therefore attracted interest because of the plaza’s visibility as a business location in the nation’s capital.

With the 2027 general election approaching, political parties and their supporters are expected to intensify mobilisation, public engagement and campaign activities. The incident, if accurately represented by the circulating video, illustrates how political messaging may encounter differing reactions in public and commercial spaces.

Nevertheless, the reaction of a group of individuals at a particular location should not automatically be interpreted as the collective position of all traders at the plaza or as a reliable measure of public opinion across Abuja.

The development also highlights the importance of distinguishing between social media footage showing a specific incident and broader conclusions about voters’ preferences. Establishing the full context would require further information from the traders involved, the plaza’s management and any political group connected with the banner.

As of the time of this report, no verified statement from the plaza’s management or the APC concerning the incident was available in the material accompanying the video.

The video’s circulation comes amid growing political conversations around the 2027 election, in which the performance of the incumbent administration, economic conditions, public expectations and the proposals of opposition parties are likely to feature prominently in public debate.

Whether the incident reflects a wider political sentiment or a local disagreement remains to be established.