Politics
2023: Anambra Bans Campaign Posters In Public Places
Ahead of the commencement of campaigns for the 2023 elections in September, the Anambra State Government has banned the pasting of posters on bridges and road demarcations along the streets.
The state also prohibited the pasting of campaign posters on street light poles; round-abouts and other public buildings and places.
These were stated in a press statement signed by the Managing Director, Anambra Signage and Advertising Agency, Tony Odili Ujubuonu.
In the statement made available to journalists on Saturday, Ujubuonu mandated presidential candidates to pay N10m, senatorial candidates to N7m, federal house of representatives to pay N5m and state house of assembly to N1m.
Ujubuonu said the payments would make them eligible to paste their campaign posters in the state.
According to him, such materials in advert forms such as posters, public address system, banners, fliers, bunting, T-shirts, caps and sundries must be fully paid for and approved by the state government authority before it is displayed for public consumption in the state.
He also directed that the payment be made to the government revenue account before pasting anywhere, noting that politicians who defaulted would face legal prosecution before election.
The statement read in part, “As campaign for 2023 general election officially commences next month, September, Anambra State Signage and Advertisement Agency in charge of all forms of advertising in the state wishes to bring some important information to your notice;
“That pasting of posters on bridges, road demarcations; street light poles, round-abouts and public buildings remain prohibited;
“That every campaign material and advert forms such as posters, public address systems, banners, fliers, buntings, T-shirts, caps and sundries must be duly approved for after full payment of the requisite fee;
“That every billboard must be displayed through a registered advertising practitioner after the advertising content has been vetted by the APCON.”
According to the statement, the statutory costs for out-of-home media and mobile advertising were pegged at N100,000 for 48 sheets billboards, N500,000 for spectacular billboards, N500,000 gantry displays; N100,000 for irregular shaped billboard; N50,000 for branded vehicle;and N5,000 for Keke rear branding, respectively.
Politics
LP Crisis: Ex-NWC Member Dumps Dumps Abure Faction
Mr Ojukwu, who recently returned to the interim National Working Committee led by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, noted that the party had 34 elected members in the House of Representatives, eight Senators, and 80 members at the state Houses of Assembly after the 2023 general elections.
“Now we lost all of them,” he said. “I don’t think we have as many as five members in the National Assembly.”
The former national officer of the LP talked to journalists in Abuja and said he chose to join the caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi-Usman because they are now the officially recognized leaders of the Party.
“I chose to work with the caretaker committee to help save the Labour Party, for the benefit of the party. I also want to use this chance to ask my colleagues at the national, state, and local government levels to come together and help rebuild our party.
“Another election is around the corner. We lost everything we have. They have left to other political parties. So I’ll reach out to all my friends in the other group to get together and work on making this party stronger again.
“The caretaker committee has formed a reconciliation committee. Let’s come together and talk so that we can restore the first opposition political party in Nigeria.”
Mr Ojukwu, who was part of the Julius Abure’s group, said there are no more factions in the LP.
He added, “There is a court ruling, and since it is valid, the right people are in the correct positions.”
He urged Barr Abure and others to drop the legal cases they have filed because they are not helping the party.
“Litigations are killing political parties”, he said. “They’ve seen many political parties disappear because of legal battles, and the Labor Party is losing support every day, which makes me feel sad.”
Mr Ojukwu said he did not think joining the Senator Nenadi-Usman’s NWC was a betrayal of the Abure group, describing himself as “the oxygen” of that faction.
“I’m with this group because of the verdict. But I never betrayed anybody. Rather, I was betrayed,” he added.
