By ABDULKABIR MUHAMMED

A human rights lawyer based in Onitsha, Anambra State, Dr. Jezie Ekejiuba, has faulted the Anambra State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ANSAA)'s campaign permit for the Anambra gubernatorial election scheduled for November, 2025. In a post on his X handle on Wednesday, June 11, Dr. Ekejiuba, who is the president of the Voters Rights Association of Nigeria, described the ANSAA's permit as politically motivated and unconstitutional.

According to him, "The Anambra State Signage & Advertisement Agency (ANSAA)'s politically motivated campaign permit is illegal and unconstitutional for being patently inconsistent with the Fundamental Right to Freedom of Expression and Information guaranteed under the amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which is superior to ANSAA Law."

Dr. Ekejiuba argued that the permit in question is unreliable and beyond the capacity of the agency.

"ANSAA Law only gave ANSAA power to regulate Out-Door Signages/Signboards and Advertisements by professional Advertising professionals and companies regulated by Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) and not to engage in politically motivated regulatory campaign permits," he said.

The seasoned lawyer claimed that the ANSAA's permit violates and threatens the voter's right. He challenges the authenticity of the agency to issue such a permit.

His words: "ANSAA is hereby challenged to publish the particular provisions of ANSAA Law that gave the agency the power to regulate the constitutionally regulated General election(s) in Anambra State including the election to the Executive Office of Governor of Anambra State.

"What is very laughable in the Press Briefing by Odili Tony Ujubuonu, the MD/CEO of ANSAA today Wednesday, June 11, 2025 on the eve of Democracy Day Celebration in Nigeria is his illegal directive to all Governorship Candidates to pay a whooping sum of N50M to the coffers of ANSAA.

?By this he is ordering that any party Governorship Candidate that cannot afford the exorbitant amount should forget about campaigns for votes. Voters have right to choose through knowledge of the candidates vide election campaigns."

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