2027: PDP guber candidate, Nnaji fumes as Enugu agency vandalises campaign office

The Enugu State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Godfrey Uche Nnaji, has accused the state government of violating his privacy after officials of the Enugu State Environmental Protection Agency, ENSEPA, allegedly stormed his campaign office and removed campaign posters and liveries.

Nnaji alleged that the agency’s officials tore down and carted away campaign materials used to decorate his office, fence and surrounding areas along Abakaliki Road, Enugu.

He described the action as an act of lawlessness, questioning why the government would remove the materials while a legal challenge to the state’s signage policy is pending before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

In a statement, Nnaji said, “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.”

He said a Motion on Notice had been served on the relevant parties in the case, adding that the parties were awaiting the hearing of the matter when the enforcement action was carried out.

Nnaji described the alleged invasion of his campaign premises as “politically sad and unethical,” arguing that government agencies should respect pending court proceedings and the rule of law.

He said the development was particularly disturbing because the state’s signage policy was already being challenged before the Federal High Court, Abuja.

“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 said.

The Enugu State Government recently enacted legislation prescribing a fine of N150 million for any political party that erects signage or posters without complying with the state’s regulations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The policy has attracted criticism from opposition figures, with the legality of the signage regime already being challenged in court.

Critics of the law have also questioned the N150 million fine, arguing that it could conflict with the campaign spending limit for governorship candidates under the Electoral Act 2026.

“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,” the statement said.

Nnaji further questioned the timing of the enforcement action, asking, “Why the haste? Why destroy first when the court is already seized of the matter?”

He argued that the rule of law requires government authorities to exercise restraint where a policy or action is already 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,” he said.

Nnaji acknowledged that the Enugu State Structures for Signage and Advertisement Agency (ENSSAA) had publicly reiterated its ban on the display and pasting of posters across the state, citing the Enugu State Structures for Signage and Advertisement Agency Law No. 12 of 2016.

However, he maintained that the existence of a government regulation does not remove the obligation of public authorities to respect due process, ongoing court proceedings and the fundamental rights of citizens.