By Our Correspondent

There are strong indications that it is not yet celebration for political parties and their candidates’ who may have emerged victorious in their various political party primary elections as the Anambra State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ANSAA), Friday presented stringent financial condition for them to campaign for the 2027 general elections in the state.

In a press briefing in Awka, state capital, Friday, ANSSA warned that they should obtain mandatory campaign permits from the agency before commencing campaign activities involving out-of-door promotions, rallies, branded materials, public address systems and other outdoor promotion activities.

Sounding the note of warning, the Assistant General Manager of ANSAA, Engr Chika Ngobili, stated that the purpose is to ensure orderliness, prevent visual pollution, protect public infrastructure and maintain professional standards, guarantee fairness and equal access to advertising space, and ensure proper coordination of campaign-related outdoor activities across the state.

He presented approved permit fees for various political categories of elections as follows: N50m for Presidential candidates; N20m for Senatorial candidates; N5m for House of Representatives candidates; N1.5m for House of Assembly candidates; N2.5m for Chairmanship candidates and N100,000 for Councillorship candidates.

According to him, these permits grant candidates and political parties the right to deploy approved campaign materials and activities within approved locations across the relevant electoral areas in Anambra.

“We expect that all campaign materials intended for outdoor display by political parties, candidates and support groups, advertising agencies and advertising practitioners must be vetted and approved by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) before deployment or display.

“Please, be informed that no individual, political party, candidate or support group is expected to erect billboards or advertisement structures in any party of Anambra except through dully registered and licenced advertising practitioners recognized by ARCON and authorized by ANSAA.

“All political parties and candidates are therefore, strongly advised to work only with ARCON-registered practitioners and obtain the necessary approvals from ANSAA to avoid sanctions, removal of unauthorized materials, or other regulatory actions.

“ANSAA enforcement teams shall monitor compliance throughout the campaign period, and any individual, group or organization found violating these guidelines shall be sanctioned in accordance with laws of Anambra State,” he warned.

He appealed with political parties, candidates, their supporters and members of the public to be considerate of other users of advertising and visual promotion spaces across the state and refrain from destroying, removing or defacing campaign materials belonging to opponents.

Ngobili described such actions as unacceptable, unlawful, and contrary to the principles of peaceful democratic engagement.”

By George Mgbeleke

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has described President Bola Tinubu’s 30 percent approval rating after three years in office as proof that Nigerians have rejected his administration over worsening economic hardship, unemployment, and insecurity.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said the latest survey showing that nearly 70 percent of Nigerians are dissatisfied with the direction of the country reflects the daily realities of rising food prices, shrinking incomes, and growing insecurity across the nation. The ADC argued that after three years in power, the President could no longer blame past administrations for Nigeria’s challenges, insisting that “30 percent approval is not a sign of success, it is a mark of total failure.”

The full statement read:

The latest national approval ratings showing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with only 30 percent public approval is a devastating verdict on an administration that has inflicted unprecedented hardship on Nigerians and failed in its most basic responsibilities of economic management, job creation, and security.

According to the nationwide survey conducted by Eagle Badger Data Analytics (EBDA), only 30.2 percent of Nigerians approve of President Tinubu’s performance, while 47.5 percent disapprove and the overwhelming majority of citizens report worsening living conditions since he assumed office.

For us in the ADC, the significance of this report is clear. A President with only 30 percent approval after three years in office has lost the confidence of the Nigerian people. More importantly, it means that roughly seven out of every ten Nigerians are either dissatisfied, unconvinced, or unwilling to endorse the direction in which the country is being led. That is not a political challenge. That is a national rejection.

The most damning finding in the report is that 62 percent of Nigerians say they are worse off today than they were when President Tinubu took office in May 2023. Only 23.3 percent say their lives have improved. Even more troubling, 42.4 percent of Nigerians describe themselves as being “much worse off” than they were three years ago.

These numbers confirm what Nigerians experience every day. Families can no longer afford basic food items. Transportation costs have become unbearable. Small businesses are shutting down. Young people are facing rising unemployment and diminishing opportunities. Millions of citizens who work hard every day can no longer guarantee decent living conditions for their families.

The same report reveals that food prices have increased by more than 90 percent since May 2023, while the overall price level has risen by roughly 80 percent. These are not opposition figures. They are realities that Nigerians confront in markets every single day.

The government continues to celebrate macroeconomic statistics, but Nigerians do not eat statistics. They eat food. They pay rent. They pay school fees. They pay transport fares. They confront insecurity. And on all these measures, life has become significantly harder under this administration.

The failure extends beyond the economy. Even the survey identifies insecurity as one of the major concerns of Nigerians. Across large parts of the country, farmers remain unable to safely access their farmlands. Communities continue to face attacks from bandits, terrorists, kidnappers, and criminal gangs. Thousands of Nigerians have lost their lives, while millions live in fear and uncertainty.

The tragedy is that after three years in office, the government can no longer claim that these challenges were inherited. The responsibility now belongs entirely to President Tinubu and his administration. Leadership is measured by outcomes, not excuses.

What should concern the President even more is that the survey found a direct relationship between worsening economic conditions and public disapproval. Among Nigerians who say their circumstances have become much worse under this administration, more than 73 percent disapprove of the President’s performance.

The verdict from the Nigerian people is therefore unmistakable. This administration has failed to improve living conditions, failed to protect household incomes, failed to create sufficient opportunities for young Nigerians, and failed to restore public confidence in the future.

The ADC believes that Nigeria deserves better. Nigerians deserve a government that understands that economic growth must be felt in homes, not merely announced in press conferences. They deserve leadership that prioritizes jobs over propaganda, security over excuses, and results over rhetoric.

As the nation moves toward 2027, this survey should serve as a wake-up call. The Nigerian people are speaking clearly. The numbers do not lie. Thirty percent approval after three years in office is not a sign of success. It is a measure of failure.

The ADC remains committed to offering Nigerians a credible alternative founded on competence, accountability, economic recovery, job creation, and the restoration of security across our country.

By Uthman-Baba Naseer,Minna

The people of Mokwa , Lavun and Edati federal constituency have been told to desist from unnecessary squabbles over the recent ADC primary election of Engr. Abubakar Takuma who was declared winner as candidate representing the constituency..

A statement issued by the concern Mokwa, Edati and Lavun local government stakeholders advise those who are aggrieved to take the result as an act of God and be more united and focus to achieve the success come 2027.

They also condemn in strong terms for disrespecting party leaders and stakeholders, particularly the governorship candidate of ADC,Dr Mohammed Kpautagi dragging him to their selfish interest simply because he did not support their ill gotten desires.

“This is an act of black mail,intimidation that will not urgur well for the progress and unity of the party, adding that it is dangerous to democracy and party unity.”

“Our focus now is not vendetta but to unite all the aggrieved group on how to achieve success for ADC come 2027,through the collective aspiration of the people of Mokwa, Lavun and Edati federal constituency.”

Politics is not all about financial inducements, but how popular are you at the grass roots and how early do you embark on your political permutation,most importantly Engr Takuma is a tested party loyalist,a seasoned comrade and a grassroots mobilizer who earned the success through hard work and dedication.

“Such groups should note that the emergence of Engr Takuma truely reflects the confidence of party faithful and stakeholders who believe in his vision,character, and his ability to deliver meaningful representation.at the National assembly”.

The concern group of Mokwa,Edati and Lavun therefore urge all genuine supporters of the ADC to remain calm, focused, and be united,.should know that in every contest there must be a loser,let’s always exhibit maturity in any disagreement instead of pursuing personal ambition.”

“Let it be emphatically clear that Engr Abubakar Takuma is not an imposed candidate as alleged in some quoters,as such some groups should refrain from inflammatory statements capable of causing disunity and damaging the image of the party before the public”

All we are to do at this moment is to put our axe together for the constituency and the party ADC to move forward to form government at both state and National levels.