2027: Kogi Charges Presidential Candidates N150m For Campaign Billboards 

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

Under the approved fee structure, presidential candidates will pay N150 million for campaign signage and related promotional materials across the state, while senatorial candidates will pay N50 million.

House of Representatives candidates are to pay N30 million, while candidates contesting seats in the state House of Assembly will pay N5 million.

For the local government elections, chairmanship candidates will pay N2 million, while councillorship candidates are required to pay N300,000.

The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, disclosed the new rates in Lokoja following a meeting between government stakeholders and operators in the signage and advertising sector.

The development comes ahead of the commencement of campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections, scheduled to begin on August 19.

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

He explained that the rates were determined after a peer review of applicable charges in other states, adding that the government considered the approved fees affordable given the scale and reach of political campaigns.

According to him, the regulatory framework would also help curb the indiscriminate placement of campaign materials while ensuring that political advertising contributes to the state’s revenue base.

Fanwo warned political parties and candidates against displaying campaign materials without paying the prescribed fees and obtaining the required approvals.

He said anyone who violated the regulations, as well as individuals or organisations found aiding or facilitating such violations, would face prosecution.

The commissioner stressed that the regulations applied equally to all political parties and candidates, including those of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

“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 said the Kogi State Signage and Advertisement Agency (KOSSAA), under the Ministry of Information and Communications, would oversee the regulation of signage and outdoor advertising activities in the state.

He added that the agency would coordinate enforcement of the approved campaign signage regime and ensure that the rules were implemented fairly without political discrimination.

Also speaking, the General Manager of KOSSAA, Richard Osaseyi, said full enforcement of the regulations would begin 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 warned that unauthorised campaign materials would be removed, while individuals and organisations found violating the regulations would be subjected to the appropriate sanctions.