‘I dare anyone to touch my billboard’ — Doris Ogala rejects ₦150m campaign fee

Doris Ogala, the African Action Congress (AAC) governorship candidate in Abia State, has vehemently rejected the state's newly imposed ₦150 million campaign advertising permit fee. Ogala declared she would not pay the exorbitant sum and dared officials to remove her campaign billboards if they attempted to do so. She characterized the policy, announced by the Abia State Structures for Signages and Advertising Agency (ABSSAA), as a direct attack on democracy and a deliberate attempt by the government to stifle political opposition. The fee structure also mandates ₦200 million for presidential candidates, ₦100 million for senatorial candidates, ₦50 million for House of Representatives candidates, and ₦20 million for state House of Assembly candidates. ABSSAA claims the fees are non-negotiable and aim to regulate outdoor political advertising, promote public safety, and ensure equitable access to advertising spaces for the 2027 elections. However, Ogala argues that such high costs effectively exclude less financially endowed candidates and ordinary citizens from participating in the democratic process. "People are dying in the hospital, workers are crying; their salaries have not been paid. And you’re imposing ₦150 million for a candidate. Where will I get the money from? Do I have a godfather who has stolen government funds?" she questioned during a visit to the agency. She accused Governor Alex Otti's administration of hypocrisy, contrasting their claims of human capital development with the reality of imposing prohibitive financial barriers. Ogala warned that if the directive remains, candidates might be forced to abandon billboard campaigns altogether, stating, "Democracy thrives on a level playing field where the people freely choose their leaders, not on state-sanctioned financial barriers designed to eliminate competition."

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People are dying in the hospital, workers are crying; their salaries have not been paid. And you’re imposing ₦150 million for a candidate. Where will I get the money from? Do I have a godfather who has stolen government funds?