Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and its presidential candidate, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, have filed a lawsuit in the High Court of Abia State against Governor Alex Otti over a compulsory N200 million fee required for presidential candidates to display campaign material in the state.
The suit, filed as HC/214/2026, names Governor Otti, the Abia State Attorney General, the Abia State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ASAA) and the state House of Assembly as defendants. Makinde’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Musibau Adetunbi, says the fee was disclosed while the candidates were preparing for a nationwide campaign.
According to the plaintiffs, the fee breaches the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act 2026 and related statutes. They cite Item F, Section 15(a) and (f) of the Third Schedule of the Constitution, Sections 92 and 99 of the Electoral Act, and Sections 1(3) and 4(5) of the Constitution, arguing that the fee contravenes the exclusive authority of INEC to regulate campaign rules and exceeds the N10 billion national spending cap for presidential elections.
The court is asked to set aside the ASAA regulations that impose the N200 million charge, issue an injunction preventing enforcement of the fee, and stop any removal or defacement of the plaintiffs’ billboards and outdoor advertisements in Abia State. The plaintiffs also seek a declaration that the fee is unconstitutional, inconsistent with federal law and therefore null and void.
No hearing date has been fixed. The plaintiffs warn that, if similar fees are imposed by other states, the cost could consume more than 80 percent of the statutory campaign‑spending limit, effectively denying non‑incumbent candidates a level playing field.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
