Ahead of the 2027 elections, Abia State Government has fixed ₦200 million and ₦100 million, respectively, as political campaign permit fees for presidential and senatorial candidates seeking to campaign with billboards and posters in the state.
According to the new rates, governorship candidates would pay ₦150 million, while candidates for the House of Representatives and state House of Assembly would pay ₦50 million and ₦20 million, respectively.
2027 elections and the campaign permit fees in Abia State
Head of the Abia State Structures for Signages and Advertising Agency (ABSSAA), Ndubuisi Nwaogwugwu, announced the new fees during a stakeholders’ forum on political campaign advertising charges held in Aba.
According to him, the approved rates would apply to candidates seeking elective offices at all levels in the state.
He further stated that the permit requirement was backed by the laws establishing ABSSAA and other extant Abia State regulations governing signage and outdoor advertising.
“The schedule of political campaign advertising permit fees contained herein has been approved by the Government of Abia State and applied throughout the approved election campaign period,” Nwaogwugwu said.
However, the proposal drew criticism from the Out-of-Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), which described the charges as excessive.
Speaking at the forum, Sola Akinsiku, president of the association, said the rates were unsustainable and could discourage political advertising, ultimately affecting voter education and participation.
Akinsiku, represented by Chinweuba Nwagu, the association’s Treasurer, urged the state government to engage stakeholders further and reconsider the charges to avoid crippling the outdoor advertising industry in Abia.
“We believe there should be more robust engagement, respect for superior viewpoints and a soft landing so as not to kill outdoor advertising in Abia,” he said.
Also reacting, Kalu Kalu, chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Abia, said the party would comply with the requirement if it was validly backed by the state’s advertising regulations.
He, however, argued that the Nigerian Constitution vested the responsibility for collecting such fees in local governments.
Kalu added that any law found to be in conflicts with the Electoral Act or would require a presidential candidate to spend about ₦7.2 billion on outdoor advertising permits across the 36 states could not withstand legal scrutiny.
