Governor Seyi Makinde, the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), has taken the Abia State government to court over a proposed N200 million fee that would be charged to any presidential candidate wishing to display campaign materials in the state.
The lawsuit, registered as HC/214/2026 in the High Court of Abia State, was filed by Makinde and the APM through lawyer Musibau Adetunbi (SAN). The defendants named in the case are Abia Governor Alex Otti, the state Attorney General, the Abia State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ABSAA) and the state House of Assembly.
Makinde and the APM allege that the fee, imposed by ABSAA, violates the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026 and other relevant laws. They argue that a N200 million charge would consume more than 80 % of the national campaign spending cap of N10 billion, making it impossible for any presidential candidate to comply with federal limits.
In the petition the plaintiffs seek eight orders, including a declaration that the ABSAA regulation is null and void, an injunction preventing enforcement of the fee, and protection against removal or defacement of the APM’s billboards in Abia State.
The case hinges on several constitutional and statutory provisions. Makinde cites Item F, Sections 15(a) and (f) of the Third Schedule of the Constitution, Sections 92 and 99 of the Electoral Act 2026, and Sections 1(3) and 4(5) of the Constitution to argue that the fee is inconsistent with federal legislation and contravenes the principle of a level playing field for all candidates.
Makinde warns that without a swift judicial ruling, the APM’s presidential campaign will suffer “irreparable harm” to its constitutional right to seek public office, and the democratic process in Abia State could be compromised.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
