The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, and his party have sued Abia State Governor Alex Otti and three other defendants over a controversial N200 million campaign fee.
The suit, filed before the Abia State High Court and marked HC/214/2026, challenges the fee allegedly imposed by the Abia State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ABSAA) on presidential candidates seeking to display campaign materials in the state.
Makinde and the APM, through their lawyer, Musibau Adetunbi, SAN, argued that the fee violates provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2026.
They asked the court to set aside the regulations imposing the fee and restrain the defendants from enforcing it or removing, defacing or obstructing their campaign billboards and outdoor advertisements.
The plaintiffs also argued that the N200 million charge could undermine the statutory campaign spending limit, noting that the Electoral Act 2026 caps total presidential campaign expenditure at N10 billion nationwide.
They maintained that while states have powers to regulate outdoor advertising, such powers must not be exercised in a way that contradicts federal electoral laws or disadvantages political candidates.
Other defendants in the suit are the Abia State Attorney-General, ABSAA and the Abia State House of Assembly.
Makinde and the APM are asking the court to declare the N200 million campaign fee unconstitutional, invalid and inconsistent with the Electoral Act 2026.
Samuel Agada is a writer and media contributor from Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria. He is a graduate of Biochemistry from the University of Jos and a former banker with GTBank and FCMB. A prolific writer, songwriter, educator, and Gospel preacher, he is passionate about informing, inspiring, and impacting society through his work.