Abia State Imposes Multi-Million Naira Campaign Advertising Fees

The Government of Abia State introduced a new permit regime for political campaign advertising for the 2027 election cycle, requiring candidates to pay substantial fees for outdoor materials. The Abia State Structures for Signages and Advertising Agency announced the non-negotiable rates during a stakeholders' forum in Aba, setting fees at N200 million for presidential candidates, N150 million for governorship candidates, N100 million for senatorial candidates, N50 million for House of Representatives candidates, and N20 million for State House of Assembly candidates.

Onyebuchi Ememanka, Director-General of the Abia State Strategic Communications Bureau, defended the costs as necessary for road safety, urban aesthetics, and maintaining an orderly campaign process. However, the Out-of-Home Advertising Association of Nigeria and the African Democratic Congress rejected the charges, arguing they are unrealistic and unsustainable.

Opposition critics, including ADC chieftain Kenneth Okonkwo, alleged the fees are a strategy by the ruling All Progressives Congress to use Governor Alex Otti's administration to stifle opposition parties. Other challengers questioned the legality of the fees, suggesting they may contravene the Electoral Act's campaign expenditure limits and that the authority to collect such fees rests with local governments rather than the state.