Atiku, Tinubu, Obi, Others to Pay N10m as Kogi Enacts Law for Campaign Billboards

The presidential candidates in the 2023 general election are to pay N10 million to paste posters or erect billboards in Kogi State, according to a new law on campaign billboards and posters passed by the state government.

Some of the affected presidential candidates are Senator Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC); Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Mr. Peter Obi of Labour Party, and Justice Peter Umeadi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), among others.

Similarly, candidates vying for the governorship position in the state will pay N5 million while senatorial and House of Representatives candidates are to pay N2 million and N1 million, respectively.
Those seeking to contest for House of Assembly and council chairmanship seats are to pay N500,000.
These payments followed the passage of the Kogi State Signage Agency Establishment Bill into law by the House of Assembly.

The assembly, under the leadership of Hon. Matthew Kolawole, after adopting the report of the Joint Committee on Commerce, Judiciary and Justice, said the bill would regulate the outdoor display of signage and advertisements in the state.
The lawmakers argued that it would also curb the indiscriminate pasting of posters on sidewalks, walls, bridges and public buildings which defaces the state.
The bill seeks for the establishment of a signage agency to carry out such regulatory responsibilities as permits would be issued before anyone or organisation can paste posters or erect billboards at designated places.

Recall that a month ago, the Anambra State government through the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the state Signage and Advertising Agency (ANSAA), Mr. Tony Ujubuonu, issued a public notice directing presidential candidates of all political parties in the country to pay N10million each to paste their campaign posters in the state before the billboards and posters could be mounted and pasted.
While the presidential candidates were mandated to pay N10 million, senatorial candidates would pay N7million, House of Representatives candidates would pay N5million, and state House of Assembly candidates would pay N1million.

He stated that the statutory costs for out-of-home media and mobile advertising were pegged at N100,000 for 48 sheets of billboards; N500,000 for Spectacular billboards; N500,000 Gantry displays; N100,000 for an irregularly shaped billboard; N50,000 for the branded vehicle; and N5,000 for Keke rear branding, respectively.