2027 Elections
Makinde, APM Sue Abia Gov Over N200m Campaign Billboard Fee
Oyo State Governor and presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, alongside his party, has dragged Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, before the state High Court over an alleged N200 million campaign fee imposed on presidential candidates seeking to display campaign materials in the state.
The suit, marked HU/214/2026, was filed at the Abia State High Court, Umuahia Judicial Division, on September 17, 2026.
The plaintiffs are challenging the legality of the fee reportedly imposed by the Abia State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ABSAA) for political campaign billboards and outdoor advertisements.
Joined as defendants in the suit are the Abia State Attorney-General, ABSAA and the Abia State House of Assembly.
Makinde and the APM are asking the court to declare the N200 million fee unconstitutional and inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and other relevant federal laws.
The plaintiffs’ legal team, led by Musibau Adetunbi, SAN, includes Ire Egert-Olusesi, Ridwan Azeez, Oluwabusola Oluwaniyi and Joseph Lukman of Musibau Adetunbi, SAN & Co., Ibadan.
They have asked the court to set aside regulations made by ABSAA relating to political campaigns, including the N200 million fee imposed on presidential candidates or any similar amount.
The claimants are also seeking a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their agents and representatives from enforcing the disputed fee.
They further want the court to stop the defendants from removing, defacing, destroying or obstructing their campaign billboards and outdoor advertisements within Abia State on account of non-payment of the fee.
Makinde, APM challenge legality of fee
In their claims, Makinde and the APM argued that the N200 million charge amounted to an unconstitutional restriction on political campaigning and could undermine equal participation in the electoral process.
They are asking the court to declare the fee null and void from inception on the grounds that it conflicts with the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026 and other federal legislation.
The plaintiffs specifically relied on Section 99(2) of the Electoral Act, which they said prohibits the use of state apparatus or regulatory bodies to confer an advantage or disadvantage on a political party or candidate.
According to the claimants, the imposition of the fee effectively places non-incumbent presidential candidates at a disadvantage by making public campaign visibility prohibitively expensive.
They argued that a state regulatory agency should not be used in a manner that could limit the ability of candidates to communicate their political messages to voters.
Campaign spending limit cited
The plaintiffs also based their argument on Section 92 of the Electoral Act, which sets the total campaign expenditure limit for a presidential election at N10 billion nationwide.
They contended that if similar billboard and outdoor advertising charges were imposed across multiple states, such fees could consume a substantial portion of the statutory campaign expenditure ceiling.
According to the claimants, cumulative billboard charges could potentially account for more than 80 per cent of the N10 billion ceiling if replicated across states, even before other campaign expenses are considered.
They listed expenses such as transportation, media advertising, venue rentals, security arrangements and payments to agents across the country’s more than 176,974 polling units as additional costs candidates must bear during a nationwide campaign.
The plaintiffs therefore argued that the disputed fee should be considered within the wider framework of federal electoral regulation and campaign expenditure limits.
Federal law versus state signage regulation
While acknowledging the authority of states to regulate outdoor advertising and signage within their jurisdictions, Makinde and the APM argued that such powers must be exercised within the limits of the Constitution and applicable federal electoral laws.
They relied on Sections 1(3) and 4(5) of the Constitution in arguing that valid federal legislation takes precedence where there is an inconsistency between federal and state laws.
The plaintiffs maintained that state signage regulations should not be applied in a manner that frustrates provisions governing federal elections or prevents candidates from exercising their constitutional political rights.
Nationwide campaign tour
In a supporting affidavit filed alongside the suit, Aisha Abdullahi Abubakar, identified as the APM’s National Welfare Officer, said the plaintiffs became aware of the disputed fee while preparing for a nationwide campaign tour.
The campaign tour is expected to cover all 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
The claimants argued that enforcing the N200 million fee could have serious financial and operational implications for their campaign activities in Abia State.
They further told the court that unless it intervened, they could suffer irreparable harm to their constitutional right to seek public office.
The plaintiffs also argued that enforcement of the fee could undermine the principle of a level playing field among candidates contesting the 2027 presidential election.
The case is now before the Abia State High Court, where Makinde and the APM are seeking judicial determination on the legality of the disputed campaigns.
2027 Elections
2027: Oyo APC Rejects Tinubu Campaign Backed by APM Support
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has warned members and promoters of the political group, Boye Nation, against campaigning for candidates of different political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The party insisted that anyone supporting President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid must also work for all other APC candidates contesting elective positions in the state.
It consequently urged the group to either return to the APC and support its candidates across board or stay away from its campaign activities.
The warning followed the circulation of a video on social media showing campaign-branded vehicles displaying photographs and messages in support of President Tinubu and the governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Oyo State, Bimbo Adekanmbi.
The vehicles reportedly carried the symbol of Boye Nation alongside the logos of the APC and APM, although no accompanying voice messages were heard.
In a statement issued in Ibadan on Thursday, the Oyo APC Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, said the party had received reports indicating that some individuals behind the activities of Boye Nation in the state were allegedly planning to create confusion within the political space.
Sadare, however, said the APC remained open to reconciliation with aggrieved members who had left the party, urging them to reconsider their political decisions.
He said, “We have got the reports from different sources that some individuals, who are behind the Boye Nation activities in Ibadan, are perfecting plans to create confusion in the polity.
“Some of these people celebrate their confusion on social media, but we can only wish them the best of luck. Information has it that some individuals who left our party recently are now trying to campaign for President Bola Tinubu against the presidential candidate of their new party.
“While we sympathise with the man in question, as he and his group must have realised the fatal error in their recent political move, we urge them to return home and play the role expected of them as progressive family members.”
The APC spokesman cautioned that the party’s willingness to reconcile with former members should not be interpreted as weakness.
He also rejected the use of campaign materials bearing the identities of multiple political parties, stressing that support for Tinubu must extend to other APC candidates.
“If you are supporting our presidential candidate, Asiwaju Tinubu, you must be intentional by working for the governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates of the APC at the same time, as doing otherwise would be unacceptable to us,” the statement added.
PUNCH Online reports that Ajiboye Sangogade, popularly known as Boye Nation, a former personal assistant and loyalist of ex-Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu, led a group of APC members who defected to the APM in Oyo State in September 2026.
The development highlights the political differences surrounding party loyalty and campaign alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
2027 Elections
2027: Yari Challenges Ekiti to Deliver 800,000 Votes for Tinubu
Former Zamfara State Governor and Director-General of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Abdulaziz Yari, has challenged Ekiti residents to deliver at least 800,000 votes for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Yari made the appeal on Thursday during the APC campaign rally in Ekiti State, where he urged residents to increase their support for Tinubu, insisting that the President had performed well and deserved a second term.
Speaking at the rally, which was monitored on television by our correspondent, Yari said the Tinubu administration had not neglected Ekiti, citing investments in education, road infrastructure, youth development and women’s empowerment.
“Asiwaju has not forgotten the people of Ekiti. He has done his best by introducing schools and universities, constructing roads, providing educational support to youths and empowering women, among other initiatives,” he said.
Yari urged Ekiti residents not to allow what he described as the achievements of the Tinubu administration to go to waste.
“The labour of this great democrat cannot be allowed to go in vain,” he added.
Tinubu is seeking re-election in the January 16, 2027, presidential election, as scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
2027 Elections
Politics Is Expensive’: Wike Reacts to Opposition Complaints Over Abuja Billboard Costs
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has defended the high cost of billboard advertising in Abuja, insisting that political campaigns are expensive globally and that parties should explore alternative. platforms, including social media, to reach voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Wike made the remarks during his monthly media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Thursday, following complaints by opposition parties over the rising cost of securing billboard spaces in the nation’s capital.
Some opposition parties have expressed concerns that the increasing charges for prominent billboard locations in Abuja could restrict their ability to publicise candidates and campaign messages, potentially creating difficulties for parties with limited financial resources.
However, the FCT minister dismissed suggestions that the charges were intended to disadvantage opposition parties, explaining that the increase was part of the administration’s revenue-generation efforts.
According to him, political parties should recognise the financial demands of electioneering and take advantage of digital platforms to communicate with their supporters.
“Politics is expensive all over the world,” Wike said, adding that parties could use their social media platforms to campaign.
The minister maintained that the FCT administration was interested in generating revenue through billboard advertising, particularly during periods when demand for advertising spaces increases.
“We want money. The FCT wants money, and part of us making money is through the billboards to raise our revenue.
“If we know that in a given time, people will rush the billboard and authority feel that we will raise the funds to make more money,” he said.
Wike insisted that the charges were not introduced to target any political party, stressing that the revenue generated would be channelled into infrastructure development and improved public services across the territory.
“The authority did not raise funds against you, because it is you.
“I am going to use the money to do more roads, to improve the schools,” he stated.
The former Rivers State governor also questioned the significance opposition parties attached to billboard advertising, arguing that the medium alone could not determine the outcome of an election.
He suggested that political parties should focus on broader campaign strategies rather than relying heavily on outdoor advertising to secure electoral support.
“For Christ’s sake, a billboard does not win an election; how many people in the villages know about the billboard?” he said.
Addressing concerns about unequal access to campaign advertising platforms, Wike noted that political parties and other organisations also pay substantial amounts to secure premium advertising slots in media organisations.
He further explained that the FCT administration was not responsible for determining which individuals or organisations secured billboard spaces, maintaining that advertisers could make advance payments to reserve preferred locations.
“People go and pay a year ahead for billboards, ‘how will I know?’ ‘My business is not going to ask, who and who paid for the billboard; I have no business there,” he said.
Wike also challenged opposition parties alleging discrimination in the allocation or pricing of billboard spaces to formally approach the FCT administration with their complaints.
He insisted that no political party or representative had personally brought the matter to his attention.
“Let them complain to us; no one has complained to us. Nobody has complained to me,” he said.
The controversy over billboard advertising costs comes as political parties begin preparations for the 2027 general elections, with access to campaign platforms, media visibility and funding expected to feature prominently in political activities ahead of the polls.
-
Security4 months agoNDLEA Declares Alleged Drug Kingpin, Three Associates Wanted, Freezes ₦9.8bn Linked to Syndicate
-
National Affairs4 months agoICPC Uncovers 908 Suspected Ghost Workers Across 50 Federal MDAs, Recovers ₦942 Million
-
Business/Finance3 months agoHow to Apply for Tunde Onakoya’s ₦250 Million Scholarship Programme and Free Laptop Offer
-
Judiciary | Public Safety4 months agoINEC Tells Court Voter Information Is Not Confidential in Emeka Ike’s ₦10bn Lawsuit
-
Politics3 months agoAtiku Challenges Tinubu to Reveal Details of ₦15.13bn SUV Procurement in 2026 Budget
-
Judiciary | Public Safety4 months agoCourt to Rule Friday on NDLEA’s Bid to Destroy ₦480bn Meth Lab in Ogun
-
News3 months ago2026 Budget: FG Earmarks ₦962.83bn for SUVs, Empowerment Projects Amid Debt Concerns
-
Security3 months agoFamily Paid ₦50 Million Ransom to Secure Release of Abducted Kebbi Judge
