The Kogi State Government has approved official fees for the placement of billboards, posters, branded T-shirts, caps and other campaign materials by political parties and candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections and the October 2026 local government elections.

The Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, disclosed this in Lokoja after stakeholders met with operators in the signage and advertising sector, as campaigns for the Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled to commence on August 19.

Fanwo said the approved fees were designed to regulate political advertising across the state, ensure compliance with existing signage regulations, and generate revenue for the development of Kogi State.

Under the approved structure, Presidential candidates will pay ₦150 million for campaign signage and related promotional materials across the state, while Senatorial candidates will pay ₦50 million.

Candidates for the House of Representatives will pay ₦30 million, while those contesting for the State House of Assembly will pay ₦5 million.

For the local government elections, chairmanship candidates will pay ₦2 million, while councillorship candidates will pay ₦300,000.

The Commissioner explained that the rates were arrived at after a peer review of applicable fees in other states, noting that the charges were considered affordable in view of the scale and reach of political campaigns.

He said the fees would also enable the government to properly regulate the proliferation of campaign materials across the state while ensuring that political advertising contributes to the state’s revenue base.

Fanwo warned that the placement of campaign materials without payment of the prescribed fees and compliance with relevant regulations would constitute an offence, adding that offenders and anyone found aiding or facilitating such violations would be prosecuted.

He stressed that the regulations apply to all political parties and candidates without exception, including candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“In Kogi, APC is the ruling party, but that does not exempt any APC candidate from complying with the law. If you are an APC candidate and you did not pay the prescribed fee before placing your billboards or posters, we will remove them, and you will be prosecuted.

“The government is for everybody. All political parties and candidates are hereby enjoined to adhere strictly to the regulations governing the placement of campaign materials across the state,” he said.

Fanwo further explained that the Kogi State Signage and Advertisement Agency (KOSSAA), an agency under the Kogi State Ministry of Information and Communications, is responsible for regulating signage and outdoor advertising activities in the state and would coordinate the enforcement of the approved campaign signage regime.

He said the state government would ensure that enforcement of the regulations was carried out fairly and without political discrimination.

Also speaking, the General Manager of KOSSAA, Richard Osaseyi, said the agency would commence full enforcement of the regulations from next week.

Osaseyi urged political parties, candidates, campaign organisations and billboard operators to register with the agency and obtain the necessary approvals before erecting or displaying campaign materials.

He cautioned that unauthorised campaign materials would be removed, while individuals or organisations found to have violated the regulations would face appropriate sanctions.

However, the Kogi State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has rejected the newly announced campaign signage and promotional-material fees, describing the policy as excessive, disproportionate and undemocratic in its present form.

In a statement issued by the State Chairman, Mohammed Gambo, the PDP said that while it recognises the legitimate responsibility of government to regulate outdoor advertising and maintain order in public spaces, such regulation must be reasonable, affordable and consistent with the constitutional rights of political parties, candidates and citizens to participate freely in the democratic process.

The party specifically faulted the ₦150 million fee for presidential candidates, ₦50 million for senatorial candidates, ₦30 million for House of Representatives candidates, ₦5 million for State House of Assembly candidates, ₦2 million for chairmanship candidates and ₦300,000 for councillorship candidates.

According to Gambo, the charges are excessive and disproportionate, arguing that the ₦50 million signage fee for a senatorial candidate alone represents 10 per cent of the candidate’s statutory spending ceiling of ₦500 million under Section 92(4) of the Electoral Act 2026.

He said such expenditure would come before spending on rallies, media, transportation, campaign offices, logistics and other legitimate campaign activities.

“Elections are contests of ideas, service, and the will of the people. Government regulation must never become a financial barrier capable of determining who can effectively communicate with the electorate,” Gambo said.

The PDP also questioned the extension of the policy beyond billboards and posters to branded T-shirts, caps and other campaign materials.

The party argued that requiring citizens to pay the government before wearing campaign T-shirts or caps, branding privately owned vehicles or displaying political materials on their homes and private property could raise constitutional concerns.

The PDP cited Sections 39 and 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which guarantee freedom of expression and the right to peaceful association, including political association.

According to the party, while government may regulate commercial signage and the use of public advertising infrastructure, it must exercise caution before extending such regulation to the personal political expression of private citizens.

The PDP therefore called on the Kogi State Government to immediately review the approved fees and convene an inclusive meeting involving all registered political parties, civil society organisations, KOSSAA and other relevant stakeholders to agree on what it described as a transparent, reasonable and equitable framework.

The party maintained that legitimate regulatory fees should be fair and proportionate and should not undermine electoral expenditure limits or effectively price opposition parties and candidates out of meaningful political participation.

The PDP reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful, free, fair and inclusive elections in Kogi State, urging all political actors and citizens to continue to engage constructively in strengthening the democratic process.