The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Anambra State Branch, has called on President Bola Tinubu and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stop what it described as excessive campaign signage and outdoor advertising fees imposed on political candidates by state governments.
The organisation warned that the charges could make political participation increasingly unaffordable and prevent qualified Nigerians without substantial financial resources from contesting elections.
In Anambra State, the State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ANSAA) has reportedly fixed the fee for out-of-home political promotions and visual campaigns at N50 million for presidential candidates, N20 million for senatorial candidates, N5 million for House of Representatives candidates and N1.5 million for State House of Assembly candidates.
For the local government elections scheduled for August 2026, chairmanship candidates are required to pay N2.5 million, while councillorship candidates are to pay N100,000.
The issue has also generated controversy in neighbouring Abia State, where the Abia State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ABSAA) has reportedly proposed campaign advertisement fees of N200 million for presidential candidates, N150 million for governorship candidates and N20 million for State House of Assembly candidates.
The development has raised concerns ahead of the 2027 general elections, as political parties and candidates prepare for campaigns across the country.
Speaking with our correspondent in Awka on Wednesday, the Anambra State Chairman of CLO, Comrade Vincent Ezekwueme, expressed concern over reports that states were demanding as much as N200 million from presidential candidates for campaign signage.
CLO argued that such charges could have serious implications for political participation, particularly for candidates without access to substantial financial resources.
“If every state adopts such an inhuman fee, the majority of qualified Nigerians will be shut out of contesting for the highest office,” the organisation stated.
The group also warned that excessive campaign expenditure could encourage corruption, as politicians who spend huge sums to secure elective positions might become desperate to recover their investments after assuming office.
“The more money spent to win, the greater the desperation to recoup it, to the detriment of citizens,” CLO said.
According to the organisation, no government had imposed such campaign signage fees since 1979, describing the current trend as an “anathema” to democratic development.
CLO urged INEC to establish and enforce clear campaign expenditure limits and ensure that states do not use signage and outdoor advertising charges to create financial barriers for political candidates.
READ ALSO: Osun Election: Primate Ayodele Predicts Adeleke’s Second-Term Victory, Warns of APC Plot
The organisation also called on INEC to sanction states that impose what it described as excessive signage fees and ensure that the 2027 elections are conducted in a free, fair and credible manner.
“Desperation to increase IGR should not destroy our democracy. The love of money is the root of all evil,” the group stated.
CLO maintained that while states have the right to regulate outdoor advertising and generate revenue, such powers should not be exercised in a manner capable of restricting citizens’ constitutional right to participate in the political process.
The organisation called for urgent intervention by the Federal Government and electoral authorities to prevent what it described as the commercialisation of political participation and protect equal opportunities for Nigerians seeking elective office.
