Okey Maduforo 
The Labour Party (LP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday protested against the Anambra State Signage and Advertising Agency’s (ANSAA) imposition of N50 million on the16 parties participating in the governorship poll for outdoor advertising.
This came as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) gave the parties the go-ahead to begin campaigns for the November 8 election.
Addressing a press conference in Awka yesterday, ANSAA Managing Director Tony Ujubuonu said the N50 million is a permit fee for each party before being allowed to mount billboards and other outdoor campaign signage.
According to him, the fee grants each governorship candidate the right to deploy their posters, public address systems, street storms, rallies, branded vehicles, fliers, T-shirts, caps and others in all parts of the state.
The agency said all campaign materials intended for outdoor display by each candidate must be vetted by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) before they are posted.
However, reacting, the LP’s candidate, George Moghalu, said: “They are jokers as far as I am concerned and we want to see who would arrest people wearing campaign T-shirts and face caps or arrest those driving branded vehicles.”
Also, the APC’s Elders Forum Co-ordinator, Bunty Onuigbo, described the directive as a tactical way of shutting out the voice of the opposition parties.
He said: “That is what they are trying to do so that other parties cannot campaign and it would be only APGA that would be going on campaigns.
“How do we confirm if Governor Charles Soludo and APGA will pay? “How transparent is that agency to show us the evidence of payment by APGA, which is the party in power at the moment? “They cannot stop the voice of the masses and tactics cannot save APGA from losing the election.”
