The Anambra State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ANSAA) has formally petitioned the Police against the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate for violating the Out-Of-Home campaign regulations.

Dr. Tony Ujubuoñu, Managing Director of ANSAA, made the announcement during a press conference held in Awka on Tuesday.

DAILY GAZETTE recall that ANSAA had earlier set a ₦50 million approval fee for outdoor advertising and campaign activities ahead of the November 8 governorship election.

Dr. Ujubuoñu explained that these guidelines were introduced to promote orderliness, fairness, and aesthetic standards during the electioneering period.

He revealed that only five of the 16 registered political parties had complied by paying the required campaign fees.

Ujubuoñu added that on August 1, members of the ANSAA enforcement team were attacked by APC supporters while attempting to remove unauthorized outdoor campaign materials.

He emphasized that political parties are free to use alternative campaigning methods such as social media, radio, or television, as long as they adhere to established rules.

The agency issued two demand notices giving APC a two-week period to comply, followed by a legal reminder with an additional one-week deadline. However, these notices were disregarded.

“Despite not securing the mandatory campaign permit, APC has carried out unauthorized promotional activities including erecting posters, branding vehicles, hanging banners, and hosting events with promotional items,” Ujubuoñu stated.

He further noted that in Nri, Anaocha Local Government Area, APC supporters obstructed ANSAA officials during their lawful operation and resorted to violence.

“ANSAA has officially reported the assault of our personnel in Nri to the Nigeria Police and will pursue all legal avenues to maintain the authority and integrity of our regulatory mandate,” he concluded.

The Senator Nenadi Usman-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) has disassociated itself from a planned protest set to take place at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday, August 6, 2025.

In a statement released in Abuja late Tuesday, the Senior Special Adviser to the Interim National Chairman of the LP, Ken Asogwa, made it clear that the party has no knowledge of, nor involvement in, the protest.

He said: “The attention of the leadership of the Labour Party has been drawn to an invitation circulating in certain quarters regarding a purported protest scheduled to hold tomorrow, 6th August 2025, at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

This protest is allegedly being organised by some unknown individuals purportedly operating under the banner of the Labour Party.”

The party leadership emphasized that it had not authorized any such activity.

“We wish to categorically state that the said protest is not sanctioned by the Labour Party. The organisers are unknown to the party’s leadership, and the action lacks the approval and backing of the party.”

“The public is hereby put on notice that anyone participating in or promoting this protest is doing so without the consent of the Labour Party and should be seen as an impostor.”

The LP also responded to a recent decision by INEC rejecting a list of candidates submitted by the Julius Abure-led faction, which it described as illegitimate.

“It would be recalled that INEC recently rejected the illegitimate list of candidates for the upcoming national bye-elections and local council elections submitted by the former chairman of the party, Barr. Julius Abure, and his unlawful group.”

“The Labour Party received that decision with relief, knowing that INEC – as a responsible electoral umpire – would eventually proceed to accept and publish the authentic list submitted by the current, lawful leadership of the party.”

The party urged INEC to remain resolute and follow through on the legal affirmation of its leadership by the Supreme Court.

“We urge INEC to remain steadfast and continue to disregard the desperate antics of these individuals whose tenures expired since 8th June 2023 – and whose expiration was expressly affirmed by the Supreme Court in its judgment of 4th April 2025.”

“While we await INEC’s timely action in publishing the valid list of candidates submitted by the legitimate party leadership, we also call on the Commission to give full effect to the said Supreme Court ruling by updating its official portal and other platforms to reflect the correct leadership of the Labour Party in line with the court’s judgment.”

The party concluded by calling on security agencies to take immediate action against those behind the protest.

“In light of the foregoing, we therefore call on all security agencies to take note: the persons planning to stage a protest at INEC headquarters on 6th August 2025 are not representatives of the Labour Party.
They are political impersonators and mischief-makers, and should be treated as such. We call for their immediate arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.”

The Labour Party (LP) has accused its former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, of bypassing party structures and showing a lack of financial transparency during the 2023 general elections.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, LP’s National Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arambri, alleged that Obi operated independently, making key campaign decisions and managing funds without involving the party’s leadership.

“Peter Obi did not give the Labour Party or any of its candidates a single kobo after his nomination,” Arambri said.

“He told us ‘we don’t spend shishi,’ yet claimed to have spent ₦800 million on litigation. I challenge him to prove it.”

He added that while Obi had spent ₦32 million on nomination processes upon joining the party, there was no subsequent financial contribution to the party’s broader campaign activities or support for its candidates.

Arambri went further, alleging that Obi and two unnamed associates opened multiple bank accounts to manage campaign funds without informing the party.

“We know the banks and the account numbers. They went ahead and opened four different accounts before informing the party. How do you run a political campaign like that?” he questioned.

He also revealed that the party was only contacted for a letter of introduction after the accounts had already been set up, suggesting deliberate efforts to exclude the official LP structure from financial matters.

Commenting on the internal party crisis between the Julius Abure and Lamidi Apapa factions, Arambri accused Obi of siding with individuals who he claimed had “rigged out the party from within.”

On election day logistics, Arambri blamed Obi’s team for failing to deploy agents to most polling units, leaving the party without the data needed to support its post-election legal claims.

“He went to court without results from most polling units because agents were not paid,” he said, adding that only 54,000 agents were deployed out of the required 199,000.

Reacting to reports that Obi had made donations worth over ₦600 million to churches and other institutions, Arambri expressed skepticism.

“Obi’s people say he donated over ₦600 million in one year. Where is the evidence? The party never received such funds. This is the man who wants to govern Nigeria? There’s no transparency. No accountability,” he said.

Former Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has said that the North’s lingering issues of poverty, insecurity, and decaying infrastructure are not the fault of President Bola Tinubu but rather the result of decades of failed leadership by past Northern leaders.

Speaking at his residence in Kaduna on Tuesday while receiving members of the Tijjaniyya Grassroots Mobilisation and Empowerment Initiative of Nigeria (TIGMEIN), Sani criticized Northern elites for squandering opportunities and mismanaging the region’s resources.

“We had Buhari in power for eight years, yet the North remained impoverished,” he said, referencing the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

He also lamented the collapse of major industries that once contributed to Northern Nigeria’s economy.

“Industries like KTL, UNTL, Nortex, Arewa Textiles, and others were abandoned. Our leaders chased personal gains, not the people’s progress,” Sani added.

The former lawmaker strongly opposed attempts to shift blame for the North’s problems onto President Tinubu, who has only been in office for two years.

“The North’s problems didn’t begin two years ago. Former leaders had the chance to fix education, healthcare, and security, but they failed. Today, they want to deceive you that Tinubu is your problem. Ask yourself, did bad hospitals, failed roads, and insecurity start in the last 24 months?” he challenged.

Sani pointed to several long-abandoned projects including the Kaduna–Abuja Road, Minna–Abuja Road, Lokoja–Abuja Expressway, Ajaokuta Steel Company, and the Mambilla Power Project, as evidence of neglect and betrayal by those who once held power in the region.

Warning against recycling such leadership, he said: “No matter how bad things may seem now, know this, your brothers from the North failed you. If they return to power, nothing will change.”

He concluded by praising TIGMEIN’s grassroots development initiatives, particularly its focus on youth and women empowerment.

Sani described the group’s efforts to equip vulnerable populations with vocational skills as a “meaningful approach to tackling poverty and fostering peace.”