The Anambra State government has fixed a total sum of N50 million as mandatory payment for political parties and their candidates to pay before they can campaign anywhere in the state for the coming November 8, 2025 governorship election.
Managing director/chief executive officer (CEO) of the state signage and advertisement agency (ANSAA), Mr. Tony Odili Ujubuonu in a press conference in the agency’s headquarters, Awka, yesterday said that each political party and its candidate contesting in the governorship election would pay “statutory fee of N50m only payable to the Anambra State Government account” before they would be permitted to campaign anywhere in the state.
He said, “The campaign fee (N50m) grants (each of ) the parties the right to deploy their campaign materials and activities using posters, public address system, branded vehicles, banners, fliers, buntings, 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”.
A total of 16 out of the 19 registered political parties in the country have been cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to contest in the governorship election. Out of the number three females are flying their parties’ flags as governorship candidates.
Mr. Ujubuonu also stated that all campaign materials intended to be deployed to public spaces must be vetted and approved by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) before such materials could be deployed for the purpose.
He further warned that individuals, political parties and support groups were not permitted to erect any billboards or advertisement structures saying that only ARCON which is a federal government registered agency is authorised to erect and manage such structures within the state.
He advised political parties, candidates and their supporters to “avoid violence, provocation, and any form of unprofessional conduct” but to approach the campaigns with true spirit of Anambra which he said is “with peace, mutual respect and dignity”.
When reminded about the fact that there are about three female governorship candidates out of the 16, and, that they might not be able to raise and pay such humongous N50m campaign fee, the state signage boss, promised that his management would look into the issue to see if the fee could be slashed for female candidates.
