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As the campaign window for the November 8 Anambra gubernatorial election officially opens today, the state government has announced a mandatory permit fee of ₦50 million for every governorship candidate who wishes to engage in outdoor campaign within the state.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Anambra State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ANSAA), Mr. Tony Odili Ujubuoñu, made this known on Wednesday during a press briefing held at the agency’s headquarters in Awka, the state capital.
Speaking on the theme “Out-of-Home Promotions and Visual Campaign Guidelines for Political Parties Campaign for Anambra State Gubernatorial Election 2025,” Mr. Ujubuoñu said the fee was in line with ANSAA’s mandate to regulate outdoor advertising, and is aimed at ensuring orderliness, environmental aesthetics, and lawful conduct of campaign-related advertising activities across the state’s 21 local government areas.
According to him, the ₦50 million statutory permit fee grants candidates and political parties the right to carry out visual campaign activities such as public rallies, deployment of posters, banners, branded vehicles, T-shirts, caps, handbills, buntings, street storm campaigns, and other promotional materials across both urban and rural areas of the state.
“Every political party and candidate must obtain a campaign permit from ANSAA before deploying any form of visual campaign or outdoor promotional materials. The statutory fee for the permit is ₦50 million, payable to the Anambra State Government account,” he said.
Continuing, he said “The purpose of this permit is to ensure orderliness, prevent visual pollution, create a level playing ground for all, and maintain professional standards in the use of public advertising and visual promotion spaces, and above all, to protect our public infrastructures,” he said.
Flanked by some principal officers of the Agency — GM/Chief Operating Officer, Chijioke Agbanyi; Out of Home Manager, Innocent Adike; Executive Assistant to MD and Manager of Special Projects, Obinna Efobi; and ANSAA Media Manager, MacDonald Ifeme — Mr. Ujubuoñu emphasized that any candidate or party that fails to comply will have their materials removed and face the full weight of the law.
He further added that only practitioners duly registered and licensed by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) are permitted to erect and manage billboards or campaign structures in the state.
His words: “Please, also be informed that no individual, political party, 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 authorized to erect and manage such structures within the state as permitted by ANSAA.
“We advise all political parties and candidates to work with ARCON registered practitioners to avoid sanctions or removal of unapproved materials.”
While re-emphasizing ANSAA’s mandate of regulating and licensing all out-of-home advertising in the state, Ujubuoñu, who commended the various political parties for the peaceful conduct of their primary elections and for maintaining decorum across the state, also expressed hope that such peaceful and orderly approach continues into the campaign season for the 2025 gubernatorial elections
He warned against defacing opponents’ campaign materials or violating public space guidelines, describing such actions as unacceptable, undemocratic, and punishable.
“We appeal to all political parties, their supporters, and the general public to be considerate of other users of the advertising and visual promotion space in the state and refrain from defacing the campaign materials of opponents. Such action are unacceptable and contrary to the principles of fair democratic engagement,” he appealed, stressing that this is not a do-or-die affair, but a brotherly contest and democratic process to allow Ndị Anambra fulfill their civil duty.
Fielding questions from newsmen on the justification for the ₦50 million fee, Ujubuoñu clarified that the decision was made based on economic realities and the operational costs associated with regulating thousands of campaign materials simultaneously across the state. He noted that political campaigns involve large-scale advertising, which demands significant oversight and coordination, and after which the Agency will still undertake the responsibility of cleaning up the ‘mess’ generated by posters and other such campaign materials after the election.
The ANSAA Boss also dismissed claims and speculations of selective enforcement or double standards, emphasizing that electoral campaigns and branded political activities are governed by specific legal and regulatory frameworks, and must be adhered to by every political party or candidate, including the incumbent Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, whom, he said, has always been up and doing in paying for every advisement service related to or offered to him, even as a Governor.
