Barely a week before the official commencement of election campaigns, some state governments have introduced stringent guidelines, fees and levies for political campaign posters, billboards and other promotional materials.
The measures, which the affected states say are aimed at regulating the political space, protecting the environment and preventing the defacement of public infrastructure, have sparked concerns among opposition parties and political stakeholders.
States including Abia, Anambra, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Enugu, Oyo and Kano have introduced various charges and restrictions, with some candidates required to pay between N20 million and N200 million to erect campaign billboards, display posters and deploy other campaign materials.
This is despite the fact that billboard advertising in Nigeria typically costs between N200,000 and N15 million per month, depending on the city, location and size of the billboard.
Stakeholders have expressed concern that the sudden introduction of exorbitant political advertising fees could financially disadvantage opposition candidates and limit voters’ access to alternative political ideas and candidates, thereby weakening democratic competition.
South-East States Lead
In the South-East, all states except Imo have announced fees or conditions governing the display of campaign materials in public spaces.
In Abia State, the Abia State Signage and Advertising Agency (ABSSAA) has set a N200 million permit fee 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.
The rates were unveiled during the agency’s 2026 stakeholders’ engagement forum in Aba.
Head of the Department of Strategy, Innovation and Design at ABSSAA, Ndubuisi Nwaogwugwu, said the fees applied to candidates of all political parties during the approved campaign period.
He explained that the charges were based on existing state laws regulating signage and advertising.
In Anambra State, the Anambra State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ANSAA) has also introduced campaign advertising fees.
Presidential candidates are required to pay N50 million for outdoor campaign permits, while senatorial candidates are to pay N20 million. House of Representatives candidates will pay N5 million, State House of Assembly candidates N1.5 million, local government chairmanship candidates N2.5 million and councillorship candidates N100,000.
Assistant General Manager of ANSAA, Chika Ngobili, said candidates must obtain clearance before erecting billboards, mounting banners or pasting posters in public spaces.
The state has also prohibited the pasting of posters on public infrastructure, including bridge pillars, strategic poles, government buildings, healthcare facilities and educational institutions.
In Ebonyi State, authorities have restricted the posting of campaign materials in areas such as public schools, electric poles and flyover bridges. Offenders are reportedly liable to a N5 million fine.
Imo State, meanwhile, has not announced fixed campaign advertising fees, with charges reportedly determined according to specific parameters.
In Enugu State, the government has imposed a N150 million fee before candidates can deploy campaign materials, erect or use billboards, or use branded campaign vehicles.
The policy, implemented through the Enugu State Structure for Signage and Advertisement Agency (ENSSAA), is being justified on the grounds of environmental aesthetics, protection of public infrastructure and revenue generation.
However, a team of lawyers led by Ben Okolo has approached the court seeking to stop the implementation of the fees. They want the court to declare the mandatory advertisement charges unconstitutional, arguing that the policy could financially exclude opposition candidates and restrict political participation and freedom of expression.
Northern States Also Introduce Restrictions
Northern states have also introduced varying regulations for political campaign materials.
In Kano State, political billboard charges are regulated by the Kano State Government Signage Registration Guidelines through the Kano State Advertising and Signage Agency (KASA).
The fees reportedly depend on the location and type of billboard, with permits for urban unipole billboards costing up to N3 million, in addition to processing and site inspection charges.
In Bauchi State, the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) accused the state government of selectively enforcing restrictions on political campaign materials.
PRP State Chairman, Abdurrahman Yusuf Muazu, alleged that while opposition parties had been directed to remove billboards, banners and posters from public infrastructure, the ruling Allied Peoples Movement (APM) continued to display its logos, colours and insignia on public facilities.
The party cited the Kofar Gombe, Kofar Nassarawa and Kofar Ran gates as examples, describing the development as an abuse of public infrastructure and a violation of political ethics.
The PRP called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to intervene, arguing that selective enforcement could undermine fairness and create an uneven playing field ahead of the elections.
Parties Reject Fees
Political parties have strongly criticised the charges, particularly those introduced in the South-East.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), through its Publicity Secretary in Abia State, Jude Udeachara, described the fees as “outrageous, punitive and manifestly anti-democratic.”
Udeachara argued that the charges could frustrate legitimate campaigns and deny less financially endowed candidates the opportunity to communicate with voters.
The PDP also raised concerns about the relationship between the billboard fees and statutory campaign expenditure limits under the Electoral Act.
The party noted that the law places expenditure ceilings of N10 billion for presidential candidates, N3 billion for governorship candidates, N500 million for senatorial candidates, N250 million for House of Representatives candidates and N100 million for State House of Assembly candidates.
It argued that if similar charges were imposed nationwide, a presidential candidate could spend billions of naira on advertising permits alone, leaving little room within the statutory expenditure limit for other campaign activities.
The party therefore urged INEC to engage the Abia State Government and examine the implications of the fees.
The Abia State Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kalu Kalu, said the party would comply if the charges were backed by law but insisted that any fee without proper legal foundation should be withdrawn.
He also argued that previous Supreme Court decisions had addressed the issue of outdoor advertising fees and the constitutional powers of local governments.
Similarly, the African Action Congress (AAC) governorship candidate in the state, Doris Ogala, rejected the N200 million fee and challenged authorities to remove her campaign billboards.
“I dare anybody to remove my billboards, then all of us will campaign without billboards in this state,” she said in a viral video.
In Enugu, ADC senatorial candidate Ogochukwu Onyema described the restrictions as an attempt to intimidate and distract opposition parties.
He said political parties were being asked to pay large sums to mount campaign materials while also facing restrictions on public gatherings and the use of public infrastructure.
PDP National Vice Chairman in the South-East, Ray Nnaji, also accused some state governments of deliberately creating obstacles for opposition parties.
He alleged that some candidates were being required to pay millions of naira before they could display campaign billboards, while opposition parties were also allegedly denied access to public facilities for political activities.
Calls for INEC Intervention
A Professor of International Law and Global Politics at the University of Kansas Law School in the United States, Jehu Onyekwere Nnaji, called on INEC to intervene and ensure that all political parties operate on a level playing field.
He argued that electoral regulations should not be used to unfairly restrict political participation or prevent candidates from reaching voters.
The President of the Global Legislative Organisation for Better Environment, Sam Onuigbo, also criticised what he described as attempts by some state governments to “ambush” the campaign process under the guise of environmental protection.
Onuigbo argued that governments should properly establish and communicate policy frameworks before introducing restrictions on open political campaigns.
He said the guidelines should be developed transparently and with adequate consultation, stressing that voters and political parties should not be prevented from accessing one another through legitimate campaign activities.
With the 2027 elections approaching, political parties and stakeholders are expected to intensify their campaigns and legal challenges as debates over campaign regulations, advertising fees and access to public spaces continue to grow.
