The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to intervene over what it described as “outrageous” campaign advertising fees introduced by the Abia State Structures for Signage and Advertising Agency (ABSSAA) ahead of the 2027 general election.
The appeal comes a day after the Abia State Government announced new permit fees for political campaign advertisements. Under the policy, presidential candidates will pay ₦200 million, governorship candidates ₦150 million, senatorial candidates ₦100 million, House of Representatives candidates ₦50 million, and State House of Assembly candidates ₦20 million.
The state government said the fees are non-negotiable and apply to all political parties, explaining that the policy is aimed at regulating outdoor advertising, promoting public safety and ensuring equal access to campaign advertising spaces.
However, in a statement issued on Thursday by its State Publicity Secretary, Jude Udeachara, the PDP accused Governor Alex Otti’s administration of using the policy to allegedly frustrate opposition parties ahead of the next election.
The party described the charges as punitive, anti-democratic and “political extortion dressed in administrative language.”
“This is not regulation. It is political extortion dressed in administrative language,” the statement said.
The PDP further alleged that the fees could discourage legitimate political campaigns and make it difficult for candidates with limited financial resources to reach voters.
According to the party, the charges also conflict with the campaign spending limits provided under the Electoral Act 2026.
It argued that the ₦20 million permit fee for State House of Assembly candidates represents 20 percent of the legal campaign spending limit, while the ₦50 million and ₦100 million fees for House of Representatives and Senate candidates also account for about 20 percent of their respective spending ceilings.
The opposition party added that although the ₦150 million governorship permit fee represents about five percent of the legal spending limit, candidates would still have to bear additional costs for producing, installing and maintaining campaign materials.
The PDP also argued that if every state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) adopted the same ₦200 million permit fee for presidential candidates, campaign permit costs alone would total about ₦7.4 billion, representing nearly 74 percent of the ₦10 billion campaign spending limit.
The party alleged that the policy could serve as a backdoor mechanism to suppress opposition parties and questioned whether the state government was deliberately pushing candidates towards exceeding legal campaign spending limits.
It called on INEC to engage the Abia State Government and issue appropriate guidelines to prevent state agencies from allegedly frustrating lawful political campaigns.
“We therefore call on the Independent National Electoral Commission to take immediate notice of this dangerous development and caution Governor Alex Otti and the Abia State Government against policies capable of undermining a level playing field ahead of the 2027 elections,” the PDP said.
The party also urged the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), civil society organisations, election observers and the media to oppose what it described as attempts to “monetise political expression.”
It demanded the immediate withdrawal of the advertising fees, insisting that regulatory charges should only reflect the cost of administration and not become a tool for political exclusion.
Source: Statement by the Abia State PDP.
