Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, alongside the party, has filed a lawsuit against Abia State Governor Alex Otti over an alleged ₦200m campaign fee imposed on presidential candidates wishing to display election materials within the state.
The suit, marked HU/214/2026, was instituted on September 17 before the Abia State High Court, Umuahia Judicial Division, by the legal team led by Musibau Adetunbi, SAN, alongside Ire Egert-Olusesi, Ridwan Azeez, Oluwabusola Oluwaniyi, and Joseph Lukman of Musibau Adetunbi, SAN & Co., Ibadan.
The plaintiffs have requested 30-day service orders for all four defendants, which include Governor Otti, the Abia State House of Assembly, the Abia State Attorney-General, and the Abia State Signage and Advertisement Agency.
Makinde and the APM contended that the signing agency’s fee was unlawful and in violation of the Electoral Act of 2026 as well as other pertinent legislation.
Among other reliefs, they are requesting an order nullifying ABSAA’s political campaign restrictions, including as the ₦200m Campaign Fee levied on presidential candidates or any other sum.
Additionally, they requested that the court issue a permanent injunction prohibiting the defendants and their representatives from enforcing the fee and from “removing, defacing, damaging or impeding” the placement of their outdoor ads and campaign billboards in Abia State.
The plaintiffs asked the court to declare the fee void ab initio, arguing that it violated the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026 and other federal laws.
They also asked the court to rule that the fee violated Section 99(2) of the Electoral Act, which prohibits the use of regulatory agencies or state machinery to favour or disadvantage any political party or candidate.
Backstory…
The controversy began in July 2026 when the Abia State Structure for Signage and Advertising Agency (ABSSAA) announced the new fee structure in July, fixing charges of ₦200 million for presidential candidates, ₦150 million for governorship candidates, ₦100 million for senatorial candidates, ₦50 million for House of Representatives candidates and ₦20 million for State House of Assembly candidates.
However, the amount immediately generated criticism, including from the Out-of-Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN).
Similarly, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected the new campaign fees introduced by the Abia State Signage and Advertising Agency (ABSSAA), describing the charges as excessive.
Read Also: ADC rejects Abia’s N200m campaign fees, demands review
