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As Party Urges INEC to Intervene Over ₦200m Campaign Permit Fee
UMUAHIA — The Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the campaign advertisement fees introduced by the Abia State Structures for Signage and Advertising Agency (ABSSAA), describing the charges as excessive, anti-democratic and capable of undermining political participation ahead of the 2027 general elections. In a statement signed by its State Publicity Secretary, Sir Jude Udeachara, on Thursday, the opposition party alleged that the policy was designed to frustrate opposition candidates and restrict access to the democratic space. According to the PDP, ABSSAA’s newly announced rates require presidential candidates to pay ₦200 million for campaign advertisements in Abia State, governorship candidates ₦150 million, senatorial candidates ₦100 million, House of Representatives candidates ₦50 million, and State House of Assembly candidates ₦20 million. The party argued that the fees represent a significant proportion of the spending limits prescribed under the Electoral Act 2026, warning that they could force candidates to exhaust substantial portions of their legally permitted campaign budgets before undertaking other campaign activities. The PDP maintained that the charges amount to “political extortion” and accused the administration of Governor Alex Otti of attempting to commercialise political participation and create financial barriers for opposition parties. It questioned whether the state government had fully considered the implications of the Electoral Act, noting that if similar charges were adopted nationwide, presidential candidates could spend a large percentage of their statutory campaign expenditure limits on permit fees alone. The opposition party called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to intervene by engaging the Abia State Government and reviewing the implications of the policy on electoral fairness. The PDP also appealed to civil society organisations, election observers, the media and the Nigerian Bar Association to oppose what it described as an attempt to monetise political expression and suppress opposition campaigns. The party demanded the immediate withdrawal of the advertisement charges, insisting that any regulatory fees should reflect only the actual administrative costs of signage regulation and should not be used as a tool for political exclusion. The Abia State Government and ABSSAA had not publicly responded to the PDP’s allegations as of the time of filing this report. See statement below: Abia PDP Press ReleaseJuly 30th, 2026 Campaign Advertising Fees: ABSSAA’s Extortionate Charges Expose...