Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, and the party have sued Abia State Governor Alex Otti over an alleged N200 million campaign fee imposed on presidential candidates seeking to display campaign materials in the state.
The suit, marked HU/214/2026, was filed before the Abia State High Court, Umuahia Judicial Division, on September 17. Makinde and the APM also joined the state Attorney-General, the Abia State Signage and Advertisement Agency and the State House of Assembly as defendants.
The plaintiffs are asking 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 in Abia.
They argue that the charge violates the 1999 Constitution and Electoral Act 2026, particularly provisions guaranteeing a level playing field for political candidates.
They also contend that INEC has the authority to regulate political campaigns and that state signage regulations cannot override federal electoral laws.
Makinde and the APM further argued that similar charges across states could consume a significant portion of the N10 billion presidential campaign spending limit. They said the disputed fee could undermi
