The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to intervene over “outrageous” campaign advertising charges introduced by the Abia State Structures for Signage and Advertising Agency (ABSSAA).
The call comes a day after the Abia government announced that presidential candidates would pay N200 million for campaign advertising permits, while governorship candidates would pay N150 million, senatorial candidates N100 million, house of representatives candidates N50 million and state house of assembly candidates N20 million during the 2027 election campaign.
The rates, unveiled on Wednesday at a stakeholders’ forum in Aba, were described by the state government as non-negotiable and applicable to all political parties.
According to the government, the fees are intended to regulate outdoor advertising, promote public safety and ensure equal access to campaign advertising spaces for all candidates.
In a statement issued on Thursday by Jude Udeachara, its state publicity secretary, the party accused the Alex Otti administration of using advertising regulations to stifle political participation ahead of the 2027 elections.
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 reads.
“It is a cynical and oppressive revenue scheme apparently designed to frustrate legitimate campaigns, silence political opponents and deny less financially endowed candidates the opportunity to communicate with the Abia electorate.”
The PDP stated that the charges undermine the campaign finance limits prescribed under the Electoral Act 2026.
According to the party, the N20 million fee for state house of assembly candidates amounts to 20 percent of the N100 million maximum election expenditure permitted under the law, while the N50 million and N100 million fees for house of representatives and senatorial candidates, respectively, also constitute 20 percent of their statutory spending limits.
It added that although the N150 million governorship fee represents five percent of the N3 billion spending ceiling, candidates would still incur additional costs for producing, erecting and maintaining campaign materials.
The opposition party further argued that if all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory adopted Abia’s N200 million fee for presidential candidates, permit costs alone would amount to N7.4 billion, representing about 74 percent of the N10 billion campaign spending limit.
“This exposes the absurdity, recklessness and anti-democratic character of the Alex Otti administration’s policy,” the PDP said.
The party questioned whether the state government was deliberately attempting to force opposition candidates to exceed the spending limits prescribed by law or was unaware of the implications of the Electoral Act.
It also accused the Otti administration of using signage regulation as a “backdoor mechanism” to suppress opposition parties.
The PDP called on INEC to engage the Abia government and issue appropriate guidance to prevent state institutions from 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 party said.
The opposition platform also urged civil society organisations, election observers, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the media to oppose what it described as an attempt to “monetise political expression”.
It demanded the immediate withdrawal of the advertising charges, insisting that regulatory fees should reflect only the administrative cost of regulation and not be used as a tool for political exclusion.
