Governor Makinde and APM Sue Governor Otti Over Abia's N200m Campaign Advertising Permit

The Allied Peoples Movement and its presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, have gone to court to contest the N200 million campaign advertising permit that the Abia State Government requires presidential candidates to obtain. The case, numbered HU/214/2026, is before the Abia State High Court in Umuahia. Listed as defendants are Abia State Governor Alex Otti, the state Attorney-General, the Abia State Signage and Advertisement Agency and the Abia State House of Assembly. The signage agency's fee schedule sets the presidential campaign advertising permit at N200 million. Governorship candidates are charged N150 million, senatorial candidates N100 million, House of Representatives candidates N50 million and State House of Assembly candidates N20 million. Makinde and the APM dispute the fees' legality. They maintain that the regulations are inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2026. Their counsel, Musibau Adetunbi, SAN, has put six questions before the court for determination and is seeking eight reliefs. The plaintiffs want an order invalidating the regulations that govern political campaign advertising, including the N200 million charge for presidential candidates. They also seek an injunction to stop the defendants, their agents and representatives from enforcing the fee or from removing, defacing, destroying or obstructing their campaign billboards and other outdoor advertisements in Abia State. Citing the Constitution and Sections 92 and 99 of the Electoral Act 2026, the plaintiffs ask the court to declare the N200 million charge invalid. They argue that electoral law bars the use of state institutions or regulatory bodies in ways that benefit or disadvantage political parties or candidates. Makinde and the APM further contend that the Constitution and the Electoral Act vest the Independent National Electoral Commission with authority to regulate political campaigns, and that state regulations cannot supersede federal electoral legislation. While they accept that state authorities may regulate outdoor advertising, the plaintiffs argue that such powers should not be used in a manner that hampers a presidential candidate's ability to campaign. They also point to Section 92 of the Electoral Act 2026, which caps campaign spending by a presidential candidate at N10 billion. According to the plaintiffs, a N200 million advertising permit in one state could create considerable strain on that statutory ceiling if similar fees were imposed nationwide. They rely on Sections 1(3) and 4(5) of the Constitution, arguing that a state law or administrative regulation that conflicts with valid federal legislation is void to the extent of the inconsistency. The plaintiffs are asking the court to intervene, saying enforcement of the fee could limit Makinde's capacity to campaign and affect what they call a level playing field for candidates and political parties. The Abia State Government has previously defended the campaign advertising fee structure, stating that it rests on state laws regulating signage and outdoor advertising. The court has not yet ruled on the merits of the plaintiffs' arguments.