Abia Govt Sets N200m for Presidential Campaign Billboard Permit

The Abia State Government has announced that political parties seeking to promote their presidential candidates through billboards and posters during the election campaign period will be required to pay ₦200 million for a campaign advertising permit.

The announcement was made on Wednesday in Aba during a stakeholders’ forum organised by the Abia State Structures for Signages and Advertising Agency (ABSSAA). The meeting focused on campaign advertising regulations under the theme, Order in Outdoors: Partnership for Safe Campaigns, Sustainable Revenue and A Cleaner Abia.

Speaking at the forum, the Head of Department for Strategy, Innovation and Design at ABSSAA, Ndubuisi Nwaogwugwu, said the approved permit fees apply to candidates of all political parties contesting elections in the state.

According to him, presidential candidates will pay ₦200 million, while governorship candidates will be charged ₦150 million. Senatorial candidates are to pay ₦100 million, House of Representatives candidates ₦50 million and House of Assembly candidates ₦20 million.

He explained that the fees were approved by the Abia State Government and would remain in force throughout the official campaign period in line with the laws regulating outdoor advertising and signage in the state.

Also speaking, the Director-General of the Abia State Strategic Communications Bureau, Onyebuchi Ememanka, said the approved permit charges are not open to negotiation.

He stated that the policy is intended to improve safety on public roads, preserve the environment and ensure proper regulation of political campaign advertising across the state.

Ememanka added that the administration of Governor Alex Otti would provide equal access to all political parties, maintaining that no candidate or party would be treated differently as long as they complied with the established guidelines and paid the required fees.

He expressed confidence that compliance with the regulations would encourage more organised political campaigns and improve public engagement during the election season.

However, the President of the Out-of-Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), Dr Sola Akinsiku, expressed concerns over the approved charges.

Represented by the association’s Treasurer, Chinweuba Nwagu, Akinsiku said the fees were too high and could discourage political advertising, reduce voter awareness and negatively affect participation in the electoral process.

He called for further discussions with the state government to review the charges and arrive at a more acceptable arrangement that would not harm the outdoor advertising industry.

The Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Abia State, Kalu Kalu, also questioned the legality of the charges.

He said the party would comply if the fees were backed by existing laws, but argued that if there was no legal basis for the policy, it should be withdrawn.

Kalu also referred to Supreme Court decisions which, according to him, assigned the responsibility for collecting outdoor advertising fees to local government councils.

He argued that requiring presidential candidates to pay similar charges across all states would result in enormous campaign costs that may not stand legal scrutiny.

Also addressing participants, the Special Adviser to Governor Alex Otti on Investments and Public-Private Partnership, Green Amankwe, said the state government remains committed to creating a cleaner, safer and investment-friendly environment.

Representing the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, Amankwe said effective regulation of outdoor advertising is necessary and urged stakeholders to promote peaceful, responsible and orderly political campaigns across the state.