The Enugu State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Godfrey Uche Nnaji, has raised an alarm over the violation of his privacy, pointing accusing fingers at the Enugu State government.
Nnaji said in a press release that his campaign office was vandalized and all the campaign livery used to decorate the office, fence and surrounding areas, torn down and carted away.
He said the action of the government amounted to lawlessness, and wondered why the government was in a hurry to tear down the liveries decorating his office when there is a case challenging the Enugu State controversial signage policy pending in court.
“My privacy has been invaded by the Enugu State government. My personal campaign office was attacked by the Enugu state Environmental Protection Agency (ENSEPA) and all my posters torn down in contravention of an ongoing court process.
“A motion on notice was served on them and we are waiting for the hearing of the matter when they embarked on their “Destroy Enugu First Campaign.
“The Signage policy of Enugu State government was being challenged at the Federal High Court, Abuja since about two months now,” Nnaji said.
Describing the incident as “politically sad and unethical,” the PDP governorship candidate said the attack on his campaign premises with disregard to pending court processes, was a reprehensible level of political intolerance and disregard of the judicial system that should have no place in a society guided by Laws.
“I wish to express my deep concern and condemnation over what I consider to be an unwarranted invasion of my privacy and an unacceptable attack on my personal campaign office at Abakaliki Road in Enugu State.
“What makes this development particularly disturbing is that the Enugu State Government’s signage policy is currently being challenged before the Federal High Court, Abuja, and a Motion on Notice has already been served on the relevant parties. We are awaiting the hearing and determination of the matter.
“Against this background, I find it deeply troubling that enforcement action was allegedly undertaken while the judicial process is ongoing,” Nnaji lamented.
The Enugu State Government recently passed a law stipulating a fine of N150million for any political party that erects a signage or poster as campaigns for the 2027 general elections commences.
The law, which has been interpreted by many observers as targeting opposition political parties, is being challenged in Court already, and many expected the state government to await the outcome of the pending case before taking action on Chief Nnaji’s campaign office.
Critics of the Enugu law and those who have challenged it in court have argued that it was impossible to impose a N150million fine on a single board/poster by the parties when the Electoral Act 2026 set total campaign ceilings for gubernatorial contests at just N1bilion.
“If the Electoral Act limits total spend of a governorship candidate to N1 billion, then any state government that imposes such a fee for permit to post posters and erect signage is either being unrealistic or is demonstrating that it does not want the opposition to campaign,” Nnaji said in the statement.
Nnaji wondered why the Enugu State government was in a hurry to implement a law, which is pending in the court.
He argued that the rule of law requires patience, restraint and respect for due process, adding “where a policy or governmental action is before a competent court, the proper course is to allow the judiciary to determine the legality of the disputed policy rather than resorting to actions that might appear to prejudge the matter.”
Nnaji said although he was aware that the Enugu State Signage and Advertisement Agency, ENSSAA, had publicly reiterated its ban on the display and pasting of posters across Enugu State.
Citing the Enugu State Structures for Signage and Advertisement Agency No Law. 12 of 2016, he emphasized that the existence of a government regulation does not remove the obligation of every public authority to respect due process, lawful court proceedings and the fundamental rights of citizens.
“What makes this development particularly disturbing is that the Enugu State government’s signage policy is currently being challenged before the Federal High Court, Abuja, and a Motion on Notice has already been served on the relevant parties. We are awaiting the hearing and determination of the matter,” he said.
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