Abia slams N200m, N150m signage fee on presidential, governorship candidates

The Abia State Government, through the Abia State Structure for Signage and Advertising Agency (ABSSAA), has fixed a N200 million signage fee for all 2027 presidential candidates before they can display their political campaign posters anywhere in the state.

Governorship and other candidates contesting elective positions in the state are also required to pay signage fees ranging from N150 million to N20 million.

This was disclosed in Aba by the Director of Strategy and Innovation of ABSSAA, Ndubuisi Nwogwugwu, during the agency’s 2026 stakeholders’ engagement forum.

According to Nwogwugwu, senatorial candidates are to pay N100 million, House of Representatives candidates N150 million, while State House of Assembly candidates will pay N20 million.

He assured that no political party would be discriminated against in the implementation of the signage fee policy.

The Director in Charge of ABSSAA, Mr Okpara Chinedum John, vowed that the agency would dismantle or revoke any campaign billboard that goes contrary to approved standards, including those threatening public safety and the peace of the state.

He said the agency’s standardisation policies were responsible for the continuous dismantling of unsafe billboards that pose a serious risk to the lives of Abia residents.

Chinedum John said the agency’s activities go beyond revenue generation and regulation to promoting a positive image of Abia State in collaboration with ministries and relevant MDAs.

The Special Guest of Honour and Chief of Staff (CoS) to the Abia State Governor, Caleb Ajagba, praised the efforts of ABSSAA in regulating the state’s outdoor advertising space.

Represented by the Special Adviser to the Abia State Governor on Investment Promotion and Public-Private Partnership, Chief Jerome Mbaobu Green-Amamkwe, the CoS described the stakeholders’ engagement as timely, considering the state government’s commitment to an organised system of governance.

In his keynote address, the Director-General of the Abia State Bureau of Strategic Communication, Onyebuchi Ememanka, said the signage fees were not designed to stifle opposition voices or visibility in Abia, noting that they apply to every political party.

However, the Acting State Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kalu Kalu Agu, rejected the new campaign fees, saying they contravene the provisions of the Electoral Act, particularly where they affect campaign funding limits and the principle of fair play.