A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Kenneth Okonkwo, has alleged that the newly introduced campaign billboard fees in Abia State are part of a strategy by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Okonkwo made the claim on Friday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme.
He accused Abia State Governor Alex Otti of allowing his administration to be used to implement what he described as an APC agenda aimed at making political campaigns difficult for opposition candidates.
According to him, the decision to impose N200 million for presidential campaign billboards and N150 million for governorship campaign billboards places an excessive financial burden on opposition parties.
Okonkwo argued that if similar charges were imposed across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, the cost of simply advertising campaign messages would become prohibitive for many candidates.
He described the policy as an attempt to undermine democratic competition by making it increasingly difficult for opposition parties to campaign effectively.
The ADC chieftain expressed disappointment that Governor Otti’s administration approved the fee structure, insisting that the measure serves the interests of the APC rather than promoting a level political playing field.
His comments followed the announcement by the Abia State Signage and Advertisement Agency, ABSSAA, which fixed campaign permit fees for the 2027 elections at N200 million for presidential candidates and N150 million for governorship candidates seeking to display campaign billboards across the state.
