The African Action Congress (AAC) governorship candidate in Abia State, Doris Ogala, has rejected the state government’s newly introduced ₦150 million campaign advertising permit for governorship candidates, daring officials to remove her campaign billboards if she refuses to pay.
The actress-turned-politician made the remarks during a visit to the Abia State Structures for Signages and Advertising Agency (ABSSAA) on Thursday, where she described the policy as an attack on democracy and accused the state government of using regulations to stifle political opposition.
Under the directive announced by ABSSAA, governorship candidates are required to pay ₦150 million for a campaign advertising permit, while presidential candidates will pay ₦200 million. Senatorial candidates are to pay ₦100 million, House of Representatives candidates ₦50 million, and state House of Assembly candidates ₦20 million.
The agency said the fees are mandatory for all political parties and are aimed at regulating outdoor political advertising, promoting public safety and ensuring equitable access to campaign advertising spaces ahead of the 2027 general elections.
However, the policy has generated criticism, with concerns that the fees could discourage smaller political parties and less financially endowed candidates from participating in outdoor campaign advertising.
Speaking during her visit to the agency, Ogala questioned the rationale behind the directive, insisting she could not afford such an amount and alleging that it was designed to frustrate opposition candidates.
“People are dying in the hospital, workers are crying; their salaries have not been paid. And you’re imposing ₦150 million for a candidate. Where will I get the money from? Do I have a godfather who has stolen government funds?
“I should pay ₦150 million. I dare anybody to try to touch my billboard. We can’t pay with that billboard in this state. This is targeted at me. Otti is afraid of me. While the current administration boasts about human capital development and creating an enabling environment, the reality on the ground tells a completely different story,” she said.
Ogala called on Governor Alex Otti’s administration to withdraw the directive, warning that if it remains in force, candidates may be forced to campaign without billboards.
She argued that the fee would effectively exclude ordinary Nigerians from participating in the democratic process.
“Demanding an exorbitant fee of ₦150 million for a state permit does not empower our youth or foster economic growth; it deliberately shuts the door on ordinary citizens and entrepreneurs while systematically extorting political rivals.
“Democracy thrives on a level playing field where the people freely choose their leaders, not on state-sanctioned financial barriers designed to eliminate competition. It will not stand. Otherwise, all of us will campaign without a billboard,” she said.
Ogala also questioned the timing of the policy, noting that many residents were grappling with economic hardship.
“When we have people in the hospital, in the streets, homeless? What are we talking about, these pensioners, whom the governor himself has paraded online, saying that he has paid their arrears?
“These people are hungry somewhere. And you’re telling me that ABSSAA, from Abia State, gave a statement from the state governor that a candidate will pay ₦150 million.”
She added that she visited the agency to verify whether the directive was authentic.
Reacting to the development, the AAC’s presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, criticised Governor Otti in a Facebook post on Thursday.
“Alex C. Otti has become one of the biggest political disappointments in Nigeria. Alex Otti is a massive scam, and the full extent of that scam is still unravelling,” Sowore wrote.
Responding to Ogala’s concerns, the Head of the Department of Administration at ABSSAA said the directive had been presented to political parties during a stakeholders’ meeting.
“There was a stakeholders’ meeting. You people were invited. It happened yesterday. All political parties were invited. The news is right. It’s from the government. The state government approved it,” the official said.
