Ahead of the November 8, 2025, Anambra governorship election, two political parties, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Young Progressives Party (YPP), have complied with the N50 million levy imposed by the Anambra Signage and Advertising Agency (ANSAA).

The levy, mandated by ANSAA, is required for political parties and their candidates to display campaign materials, including advertisements and posters, during the electioneering season.

Both the John Nwosu Campaign Organisation representing the ADC and Chief Uzu Okagbue, the YPP Deputy Governorship candidate, paid the fee in full at ANSAA’s headquarters in Awka.

Upon payment, the parties were issued official receipts and certificates by the agency.

While addressing officials during his visit, the ADC candidate acknowledged the rationale behind the levy but raised concerns about its implications on electoral fairness and free expression.

“If by God’s grace I become the governor, such prohibitive laws will be amended with a view to having fair electoral practices, playing level field and political space that does not confer undue advantage to the incumbent office holder,” he said.

In a similar vein, Chief Uzu Okagbue, representing the YPP, reaffirmed his party’s readiness for the upcoming election, describing the payment as a significant and symbolic milestone.

“This payment is our declaration of intent; bold, structured, and uncompromising. It speaks to our integrity, our commitment to due process, and our disciplined approach to governance,” Okagbue stated.

He emphasized that YPP’s campaign would stand apart from the norm, offering voters a compelling alternative rooted in principles and purpose.

“In an era where political engagement is often reduced to noise and improvisation, YPP brings a refreshing difference: a campaign anchored on vision, substance, and service.”

The ANSAA CEO and other senior officials were present to receive the representatives from both parties and commended them for meeting the requirement.

The agency’s levy remains a point of discussion within political circles, especially regarding its influence on smaller parties and electoral inclusivity.

Rivers State’s suspended governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that “peace has returned in Rivers State” following a reconciliatory meeting with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

“For me, it is very important that this day has come to be. What we need for the progress of Rivers State is peace, and by the special grace of God, and with the help of Mr President and with the agreement of the leaders of the state, peace has returned in Rivers State,” Fubara said late Thursday.

Currently in his third month of suspension, Fubara promised to “do everything within our power to ensure that we sustain it this time around.”

The crisis erupted in March 2025 when President Tinubu suspended Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the Rivers State Assembly amid a power tussle.

Tinubu also declared a state of emergency and appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok‑ete Ibas as the state’s sole administrator. The intervention drew sharp criticism but was justified using Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution.

The political feud stemmed from a split between Wike and his former protégé, Fubara, over control of state structures.

A faction of assembly members loyal to Wike, led by Martin Amaewhule, even threatened impeachment.

But after Thursday’s meeting, the three were seen sharing handshakes, smiles, and cordial photographs—signs many are interpreting as a thaw in the deep political freeze.

“We have all agreed to work together with the governor, and the governor has also agreed to work with all of us,” Wike said after the meeting.

Wike, who previously governed Rivers State, emphasized reconciliation:

“We are members of the same political family – yes, just like humans, we all have disagreements, and then you also have the time to settle your disagreements, and that has been finally concluded today. We have come to report to Mr President that this is what we have agreed.”

He expressed gratitude for the breakthrough:

“For me, everything is over and in joy… We have all agreed on everything, so we thank Almighty God.”

This marks the second time Fubara has met privately with President Tinubu following an earlier visit in Lagos.

While the truce signals a possible end to the state of emergency, none of the three leaders Tinubu, Wike, or Fubara spoke publicly after Thursday’s meeting.

Observers are now awaiting further developments: will the suspension be lifted? Will stability return to Rivers State’s governance?

A breakthrough appears to have been achieved in the long-running political dispute in Rivers State, as FCT Minister Nyesom Wike confirmed that he and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara have reconciled and “agreed to work together.”

The announcement followed a late-night meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, attended by President Bola Tinubu, Wike, Fubara, and suspended lawmakers from the Rivers State Assembly.

“We have all agreed to work together with the governor, and the governor has also agreed to work with all of us,” Wike said, announcing the meeting’s resolution.

“We are members of the same political family – yes, just like humans, we all have disagreements, and then you also have the time to settle your disagreements, and that has been finally concluded today. We have come to report to Mr President that this is what we have agreed.”

Wike, who previously served as Rivers State governor, added,

“For me, everything is over and in joy – all of everybody who believes to work with us, to also work together with everybody – that there is no more acrimony. There is nothing to say we are disagreeing. We have all agreed on everything, so we thank Almighty God.”

In March, President Tinubu had suspended Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the Rivers State Assembly for six months after attempts to resolve the tug-of-war between Fubara and his former political mentor, Wike, failed.

Tinubu also declared a state of emergency and appointed Ibok‑Ete Ibas to oversee the state’s administration.

Fubara described the meeting as marking “a return to peace in Rivers State.”

DAILY GAZETTE reports that this gathering marks the second meeting between Tinubu and Fubara since the suspension.

Earlier this month, Fubara met with the president in Lagos during Tinubu’s nationwide tour; the president’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, shared photos from that visit.

The suspension and takeover drew widespread reactions from political parties, civil society, and notable public figures — including Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, the PDP, Labour Party, Nigerian Bar Association, and PANDEF.

Critics argued it undermined democracy, while Tinubu defended the measure as crucial to restoring stability in the state.

The one-year feud had seen attempts to impeach Fubara by a Rivers Assembly loyal to Wike, led by Martin Amaewhule, for alleged failure to honour a Supreme Court judgment.

The conflict escalated amid violent pipeline explosions, prompting Tinubu’s invocation of Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution.

Video from the Abuja meeting depicts a shift in tone: Wike and Fubara were seen exchanging handshakes and smiles, visibly more amicable after months of public conflict.

Although President Tinubu remained silent after the session, political analysts are interpreting the interaction as a strong signal that the state of emergency may soon be lifted and Rivers State may be moving toward reconciliation and renewed governance.

Nigeria’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is engulfed in a deepening rift as its Board of Trustees (BoT) has thrown support behind 11 National Working Committee (NWC) members and demanded that the 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting go ahead on June 30, despite acting national chairman Umar Damagum’s announcement delaying the gathering.

In a strongly worded statement, BoT chairman and former Senate President Adolphus Wabara condemned Damagum’s actions as a “gross violation of party constitutional order,” deeming them “null and void.”

“The unilateral cancellation of the 100th NEC meeting and pronouncements by the acting national chairman are a gross violation of the party’s constitutional order,” the statement read.

The BoT reaffirmed that the NEC is PDP’s highest decision-making body after the national convention, stressing that no one person has the power to override its decisions.

“By virtue of Section 31(3) of the PDP Constitution, the resolution of the NEC at its 99th meeting held on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, to hold its 100th meeting on Monday, June 30, 2025, is binding on all organs and members of the PDP,” the statement continued.

“To this effect, being a NEC decision, no organ, group, or individual has the power or competence to cancel, adjust, or postpone the 100th NEC meeting already scheduled by NEC. Such conduct amounts to an affront to the constitutional authority of NEC and the collective will of our party.”

Regarding the status of the National Secretary, the BoT also rejected Damagum’s reinstatement of Senator Samuel Anyanwu, noting that it contravened the PDP constitution, a Supreme Court judgment, and an existing NEC resolution.

“The decision of the NWC at its 600th meeting directing the deputy national secretary to act as national secretary remains valid… The attempt by Amb. Damagum to overturn that decision is a gross abuse of office,” the BoT asserted.

It urged all NEC members to “disregard any contradictory notice or statement regarding the meeting,” adding:

“The 100th NEC meeting shall proceed as scheduled on Monday, June 30, 2025… All party members are advised to be guided by the supremacy of the PDP Constitution and resist any attempt to drag the party into an avoidable crisis.”

Damagum was contacted for comment but had not responded by filing time. Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed—chair of the PDP Governors’ Forum and part of Wednesday’s briefing—was similarly unavailable.

The rift in the party aligns closely with factions supporting Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.

The Makinde camp supports Anyanwu’s removal and insists the NEC meeting proceed as planned, while Wike’s faction supports Anyanwu’s reinstatement and the postponement.

Sources say Wike is backing the re-election of President Bola Tinubu (APC), whereas Makinde eyes the PDP’s 2027 presidential ticket.

Eleven NWC members, led by Deputy National Chairman (South) Taofeek Arapaja and including Acting National Secretary Setonji Koshoedo, have lined up behind Makinde’s position.

On the opposing side are Wike/Damagum loyalists, Anyanwu, National Organising Secretary Umar Bature, Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), and National Youth Leader Suleiman Kadade—along with six NWC deputies who branded Makinde’s camp “merchants of instability” and urged reconciliation:

“We have advised all parties to come down from their high horses and jaw-jaw rather than war-war. A war between brothers and sisters has no victor; everyone loses,” their joint statement said.

They praised Damagum’s adherence to court rulings and urged all stakeholders to converge at the June 30 meeting.

A reconciliation panel led by former Senate President Bukola Saraki reportedly supports Anyanwu’s return strictly to regain constitutional legitimacy and ensure NEC decisions are valid under INEC’s oversight.

“Let me tell you what happened… For INEC to consider a notice valid, it must be jointly signed by the national chairman and the recognised national secretary,” said a committee insider.

They warned that failure to resolve the secretaryship issue could threaten PDP’s eligibility for the 2027 presidential election and the forthcoming FCT polls.

INEC clarified that it must receive at least 21 days’ notice of statutory meetings, such as NEC sessions, co-signed by the party’s national chairman and national secretary, or such meetings risk being deemed invalid:

“Every registered political party shall give the Commission at least 21 days’ notice… Failure of a political party to notify the Commission shall render the… meeting invalid,” explained Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu.

In related news, the Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled a fresh hearing on September 22 for the case over the legitimate National Secretary. Justice Mohammed Umar will oversee the renewed proceedings, which were previously postponed due to amendments to the suit.