The Abia State government through its advertising agency Structure for Signage and Advertising Agency (ABSSAA), has announced campaign advertisement fees for candidates participating in the 2027 general elections in the state.
The agency’s Director of Strategy and Innovation, Ndubuisi Nwogwugwu, who unveiled the policy at the ABSSAA’s 2026 Stakeholders’ Engagement Forum in Aba said the one-time payment would cover the entire campaign and election period.
He added that House of Assembly candidates unable to pay the full fee could share campaign billboards with their party’s governorship candidate.
ABSSAA also warned that it would remove campaign billboards that fail to meet approval standards or pose risks to public safety. The agency maintained that the policy applies equally to all political parties and is not intended to discriminate against any candidate.
The agency says presidential candidates will pay N200m, while governorship candidates will pay N150m to display campaign materials in approved advertising spaces across Abia. Senatorial candidates will pay N100m, House of Representatives candidates N50m, and State House of Assembly candidates N20m.
Also speaking at the event, the Director General of the Abia State Bureau of Strategic Communication, Onyebuchi Ememanka, said the charges were not designed to stifle opposition parties but would apply uniformly across the political spectrum.
The Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Abia State, Kalu Kalu, who spoke on behalf of his party however rejected the policy, arguing that the fees contravene the provisions of the Electoral Act on campaign finance limits and fair political competition.
The stakeholders’ forum was attended by representatives of political parties, advertising professionals, and government officials.
(The Whistler)
