Oyo State Governor and presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, Seyi Makinde, and his party have dragged Abia State Governor Alex Otti and the state government to court over an alleged N200m campaign fee imposed on presidential candidates.
Makinde and the APM are challenging the fee, which they said is required from presidential candidates seeking to display campaign billboards and other outdoor materials in Abia State.
In the suit marked HC/214/2026, filed at the Abia State High Court through their lawyer, Musibau Adetunbi, SAN, the plaintiffs argued that the fee violates the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026 and other relevant laws.
They joined the Abia State Attorney-General, the Abia State Signage and Advertisement Agency and the state House of Assembly as defendants.
Makinde and the APM said they became aware of the N200m charge while preparing for their nationwide campaign.
They argued that imposing such a fee across states would make it difficult for presidential candidates to comply with the N10bn statutory limit for presidential campaign expenditure under Section 92 of the Electoral Act 2026.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to set aside the regulations made by the Abia signage agency concerning political campaigns, including the N200m fee.
They are also seeking an injunction stopping the defendants and their agents from enforcing the charge or removing, defacing, destroying or obstructing their campaign billboards and outdoor advertisements in the state.
Makinde and the APM want the court to declare the fee unconstitutional and inconsistent with federal electoral legislation.
They particularly relied on Section 99(2) of the Electoral Act, arguing that state apparatus and regulatory bodies must not be used to give an advantage or disadvantage to any political party or candidate.
The plaintiffs further contended that the Independent National Electoral Commission is exclusively empowered to make rules and regulations concerning political campaigns for elections.
According to them, although states have powers to regulate outdoor advertising and signage, those powers cannot be exercised in a manner that overrides or frustrates federal electoral laws.
They also cited Sections 1(3) and 4(5) of the Constitution, arguing that any state regulation inconsistent with a valid Act of the National Assembly is void to the extent of the inconsistency.
The APM and Makinde further claimed that the N200m charge could effectively shut non-incumbent candidates out of public visibility by making billboard advertising prohibitively expensive.
They urged the court to intervene, arguing that failure to stop the fee could affect their ability to campaign and exercise their constitutional right to seek public office.
No date has been fixed for hearing of the suit.
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