Abia State Government has announced a new schedule of political campaign advertising permit fees, requiring presidential candidates to pay N200 million to obtain approval for campaign billboards and posters across the state.
The announcement was made on Wednesday in Aba during a Stakeholders’ Forum on Political Campaign Advertising Fees, organised by the Abia State Structures for Signages and Advertising Agency (ABSSAA).
The forum, themed “Order in Outdoors: Partnership for Safe Campaigns, Sustainable Revenue and a Cleaner Abia,” brought together government officials, political parties and stakeholders in the advertising industry.
Speaking at the event, the Head of Department, Strategy, Innovation and Design at ABSSAA, Mr. Ndubuisi Nwaogwugwu, said the permit fees apply to all political parties and candidates seeking to advertise during the approved election campaign period.
According to him, presidential candidates will pay N200 million, governorship candidates N150 million, senatorial candidates N100 million, House of Representatives candidates N50 million, while House of Assembly candidates will pay N20 million.
Nwaogwugwu said the fee schedule was approved by the Abia State Government and derives its authority from the laws establishing ABSSAA and other state regulations governing outdoor advertising.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the Abia State Strategic Communications Bureau, Sir Onyebuchi Ememanka, described the permit regime as non-negotiable, insisting that it is intended to promote public safety, preserve the state’s aesthetics and ensure orderly political campaigns.
He said the administration of Governor Alex Otti would provide a level playing field for all political parties, stressing that no candidate or political platform would be discriminated against.
“Provided the rules are obeyed, the official guidelines followed and the prescribed fees paid, every political party and candidate will enjoy equal access to outdoor advertising spaces,” Ememanka said.
He added that compliance with the regulations would help ensure peaceful campaigns and establish a model for responsible political engagement.
However, the new permit charges drew criticism from the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), which described the fees as excessive and potentially harmful to political communication.
The association’s President, Dr. Sola Akinsiku, represented by its Treasurer, Mr. Chinweuba Nwagu, said while OAAN supports regulation and partnership with government, the proposed rates are unsustainable.
He warned that the charges could discourage political advertising, reduce voter awareness, increase voter apathy and ultimately weaken democratic participation.
Akinsiku called for further consultations and a review of the fee structure to avoid crippling the outdoor advertising industry in the state.
The Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Abia State, Mr. Kalu Kalu, also questioned the legality of the charges.
He argued that Supreme Court judgments have vested the collection of outdoor advertising fees in local governments and maintained that any state law inconsistent with the Electoral Act or the Constitution would be difficult to sustain.
Kalu further contended that imposing similar charges nationwide would translate into billions of naira for presidential candidates, describing the arrangement as unreasonable.
Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to Governor Alex Otti on Investments and Public-Private Partnership, Chief Green Amankwe, said the government remains committed to building a cleaner, safer and investment-friendly Abia.
Represented by the Governor’s Chief of Staff, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, Amankwe said effective regulation of outdoor advertising is essential to orderly urban development and urged stakeholders to ensure that campaign communications promote peace, unity and responsible political engagement.
(Agency Report)
