The Abia State Government has announced a ₦200 million permit fee for presidential candidates seeking to use billboards, posters and other outdoor advertising materials for campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The fee was unveiled on Wednesday in Aba by the Abia State Structures for Signages and Advertising Agency (ABSSAA) during a stakeholders’ forum themed “Order in Outdoors: Partnership for Safe Campaigns, Sustainable Revenue and A Cleaner Abia.”
According to ABSSAA’s Head of Strategy, Innovation and Design, Ndubuisi Nwaogwugwu, governorship candidates will pay ₦150 million, while senatorial candidates will be charged ₦100 million. House of Representatives candidates are to pay ₦50 million, while House of Assembly candidates will pay ₦20 million.
The state government said the policy is intended to regulate outdoor political campaigns, promote order and ensure all political parties have equal access to advertising spaces, provided they comply with the laid-down guidelines.
However, the Out-of-Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) criticised the new rates, describing them as excessive and unsustainable. Similarly, the Abia State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) questioned the legal basis for the charges, arguing that Supreme Court rulings assign the collection of such fees to local governments.
