Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) have sued Abia State Governor Alex Otti over an alleged unlawful N200 million mandatory campaign fee imposed on presidential candidates seeking to display campaign materials in the state. The suit, marked HC/214/2026 and filed before the Abia State High Court, lists the Abia Attorney-General, the Abia State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ABSAA), and the House of Assembly as co-defendants. The plaintiffs argue the fee violates the Constitution and the Electoral Act 2026, which caps total presidential campaign spending at N10 billion nationwide.
They contend that if every state imposed similar charges, billboard fees alone would consume over 80% of that statutory limit. The plaintiffs also invoke Section 99(2) of the Electoral Act, which prohibits using state regulatory bodies to advantage or disadvantage any candidate, arguing the fee constructively excludes non-incumbent candidates from public visibility. They seek an order setting aside the regulations and a perpetual injunction restraining enforcement of the fee.
The lawsuit has raised questions about a similar policy in Oyo State, where the Makinde administration, through the Oyo State Signage and Advertisement Agency (OYSAA), imposed a N50 million permit fee on presidential candidates for campaign billboards and outdoor advertisements ahead of the 2027 elections. OYSAA’s fee schedule also includes N30 million for gubernatorial candidates, N20 million for senatorial candidates, and N5 million for House of Representatives candidates, with critics accusing the government of victimising opposition parties.