C’River pegs presidential campaign ads at N150m, govs N100m

The Cross River State Signage and Advertisement Agency (CRISSAA) has established new, substantially increased tariffs for outdoor political campaign advertisements, setting a high bar for candidates in the upcoming 2027 general elections. Presidential hopefuls will now be required to pay N150 million for advertising space, while governorship candidates face a N100 million fee.

Further down the political ladder, senatorial candidates are pegged at N50 million, House of Representatives candidates at N25 million, and State House of Assembly candidates at N5 million. Ubong Sam, the Director-General of CRISSAA, announced these rates during an interactive session with the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Calabar. Sam defended the charges, asserting they are moderate compared to neighboring states and that CRISSAA operates impartially.

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The tariff is outrageous, exorbitant and a ploy to prevent other political parties from carr[ying out publicity].

CRISSAA has also mandated that political parties remove their campaign billboards and other advertising materials within 30 days after election results are declared. Failure to comply risks removal of materials, fines, or prosecution, with fines potentially exceeding one million naira. The agency claims to have implemented measures to regulate advertising spaces and ensure fairness, preventing insults against individuals or parties.

However, the new tariffs have drawn sharp criticism from several political parties. Apostle Edet, the state chairman of the Action Democratic Party, and Mike Ojisi, the Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), condemned the charges as "outrageous" and "exorbitant." They argue that these fees are a deliberate attempt by CRISSAA to exclude candidates from less affluent political parties, effectively limiting their ability to use billboards for essential pre-election publicity.

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For defaulters having it at the back of their mind that ARCON fine is more than a million naira, there is no ARCON fine that is less than a million naira.