Kogi PDP rejects N150 million presidential campaign signage fee

The Kogi State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has vehemently rejected the recently imposed fees for campaign signage and promotional materials by the Kogi State Government. The party described the policy, set to affect the upcoming Local Government elections in October 2026 and the general elections in 2027, as excessively high, disproportionate, and fundamentally undemocratic.

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Elections are contests of ideas, service and the will of the people. Government regulation must never become a financial barrier capable of determining who can effectively communicate with the electorate.

Mohammed Gambo, the State Chairman of the PDP, stated in Lokoja that while the government has a right to regulate outdoor advertising, such regulations must be reasonable and affordable. He emphasized that these regulations should not impede the constitutional right of political parties and citizens to engage freely in the democratic process. The state government had announced fees including ₦150 million for presidential candidates, ₦50 million for senatorial candidates, and scaled-down amounts for other positions down to ₦300,000 for councillorship candidates.

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First, the charges are excessive and disproportionate. Section 92(4) of the Electoral Act 2026 limits the total election expenses of a senatorial candidate to ₦500 million. A ₦50 million signage levy alone therefore consumes 10 per cent of a candidate’s entire statutory spending ceiling, before expenditure on rallies, media, transportation, campaign offices, logistics and other legitimate campaign activities.

Gambo argued that the charges are not only excessive but also disproportionate, particularly when compared to the Electoral Act of 2026. He pointed out that a ₦50 million signage levy for a senatorial candidate would consume 10% of their entire statutory spending limit of ₦500 million, leaving insufficient funds for rallies, media, transportation, and other essential campaign activities.

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Second, government must distinguish commercial outdoor advertising from the personal political expression of citizens.

The PDP stressed that legitimate regulatory fees should be fair and proportionate, not undermining expenditure limits or effectively barring candidates and opposition parties from meaningful participation. The party also raised concerns about the policy extending beyond traditional billboards and posters to items like branded T-shirts, caps, and political materials displayed on private property. Requiring payment for citizens to wear campaign T-shirts or display political materials on their homes, they argued, infringes upon constitutional rights to freedom of expression and peaceful association.

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Sections 39 and 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantee freedom of expression and the right to peaceful association, including political association.