Former Nigerian Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Anambra State, Nicholas Ukachukwu, against using his photograph in campaign materials without permission.

In a statement signed by his media aide, Hyggy Obialo, Ngige condemned the “unauthorised” use of his image alongside those of Ukachukwu and his running mate, Senator Uche Ekwunife, in an online campaign poster circulating on social media.

“Our attention has been drawn to an online poster featuring our principal, His Excellency Senator Chris Nwabueze Ngige, together with the Anambra APC governorship candidate and his deputy,” Obialo said. “Neither the consent nor approval of our principal was sought or obtained before the publication was disseminated to the public.”

Ngige, 72, served as governor of Anambra from 2003 to 2006 and represented the state’s central senatorial district in the National Assembly between 2011 and 2015. He later held the labour portfolio for two terms, from 2015 to 2023.

According to Obialo, Ngige has stepped away from active partisan politics and is “on a well-deserved rest” after more than two decades in public service. “Senator Ngige is currently on sabbatical from partisan politics after 25 years of active political and public engagement,” he said.

The warning comes ahead of the Anambra governorship election scheduled for 8 November. The race is expected to be closely contested in the south-eastern state, where political allegiances often shift and prominent endorsements can carry significant weight.

The APC in Anambra has yet to publicly respond to Ngige’s statement. Ukachukwu, a businessman and politician, secured the party’s ticket earlier this year, with Ekwunife, a former senator, named as his running mate