- This is the height of illegality— Falana
With campaigns for the November 8, 2025, governorship election in Anambra State taking off on Wednesday, the Anambra State Signage and Advertisement Agency has pegged ₦50 million as a permit fee for each political party before being allowed to mount billboards and other outdoor campaigning activities.
The Managing Director of the Agency, Tony Ujubuonu, disclosed this to journalists during a press briefing at its headquarters in Awka, on Wednesday; an action notable rights advocate and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, described as “the height of illegality.”
Ujubuonu said the briefing became necessary to inform the political parties and their candidates on the out-of-home promotions and visual campaign guidelines for the upcoming governorship election.
He said the statutory permit fee is only payable to the Anambra State Government coffers, adding that the permit fee grants the contestants the right to deploy their campaign materials such as posters, public address systems, street storms, rallies, branded vehicles, fliers, T-shirts, caps, buntings and sundry in locations across the cities, villages and communities of the 21 local government areas of the state.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission, no fewer than 16 political parties have been cleared for the election, thereby making it a sum total of N800 million that is expected to go into the state coffers.
Ujubuonu said, “In line with the regulatory framework guiding political campaign activities in Anambra State, and following the lifting of the ban on political campaigns by INEC today June 11, 2025, we wish to formally inform all political parties, the press and the general public of the out-of-home promotions and visual campaign guidelines for the 2025 governorship campaign in Anambra State.
“Therefore, this briefing is both timely and essential for orderly and lawful campaign season in our dear state. The campaign fee grants the parties the right to deploy their campaign materials and activities using posters, public address systems, branded vehicles, banners, fliers, bunting, T-shirts, caps, street storms, rallies and sundry in locations across the cities, villages and communities of the 21 local government areas of the state.”
According to him, ANSAA was created by the Anambra State Government and established by law on September 16, 2010, for the purpose of regulating the use of out-of-home advertising structures, controlling outdoor structures to be used for signage and advertisements across the state.
He further noted that the Agency is empowered to issue permits and licenses for the construction and deployment of signage and advertisements, ensure environmental aesthetics and collect the appropriate revenues on behalf of the state government.
“We appeal to all political parties, their supporters, and the general public to consider the other users of the advertising and visual promotion space in the state and refrain from defacing the campaign materials of opponents. Such actions are unacceptable and contrary to the principles of fair democratic engagement.
“No individual, political parties, or support group is permitted to erect billboards or any advertisement structures in any part of Anambra State. Only advertising practitioners registered and licensed by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) – a Federal Government agency- are authorised to erect and manage such structures within the state, as permitted by ANSAA,” he added.
The Agency’s boss further urged all political parties and candidates to work with ARCON-registered practitioners to avoid sanctions or removal of unapproved materials, just as he said that the campaign is among brothers and a campaign to assist Ndi Anambra fulfill their civil duty and not a do or die affair.
He warned all candidates, their supporters, and the general public to avoid violence, provocation, and any form of unprofessional conduct as it relates to public promotion, advertising and campaigns, calling on media practitioners to support ANSAA in ensuring a peaceful campaign process across the state.
He added that the agency has duly informed all the political parties and their candidates, including the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, noting that he would make them public as soon as they begin to comply.
The political parties and candidates are yet to react to the development.
