The Cross River State Signage and Advertisement Agency (CRISSAA) has approved a ₦150 million tariff for outdoor campaign advertisements by presidential candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The new tariff, announced by the agency’s Director-General, Ubong Sam, also places a ₦100 million charge on governorship candidates and ₦50 million on senatorial candidates seeking to advertise on billboards and other outdoor platforms across the state.
Candidates contesting seats in the House of Representatives and State Houses of Assembly are expected to pay ₦25 million and ₦5 million, respectively.
Sam disclosed the rates during an interactive meeting with members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Calabar, where he explained that the charges were introduced as part of efforts to regulate political advertising and ensure fairness among competing parties and candidates.
According to him, the tariffs were moderate compared with those in neighbouring states, insisting that CRISSAA would apply its regulations without favouring any political party.
“We have tried to regulate advert space, by not allowing anybody to insult the integrity of anybody or party, by being fair in all ramifications, by giving advertisers opportunity to either dialogue or arbitration and not necessarily by litigation,” Sam said.
The CRISSAA director-general also warned political parties and candidates against violating the agency’s advertising regulations.
He said offenders could have their campaign materials removed, be required to pay fines or face prosecution before the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON).
Sam further cautioned candidates about the financial consequences of breaching ARCON regulations, noting that the penalties could run into millions of naira.
“For defaulters having it at the back of their mind that ARCON fine is more than a million naira, there is no ARCON fine that is less than a million naira,” he said.
30-Day Deadline for Campaign Materials
CRISSAA also directed political parties and candidates to remove their campaign billboards and other advertising materials within 30 days after election results are announced.
Sam explained that the countdown would begin immediately after the declaration of results for each election.
“Immediately after each election, at the expiration when results are announced, political parties are given 30 days to take off their campaign materials. Once it’s beyond 30 days, the advert materials become a nuisance,” he said.
The Cross River State IPAC Chairman, Effiom Edet, backed the new tariff structure, describing the charges as reasonable.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Inter-Party Affairs, Nkoyo Otu, also assured political parties and other stakeholders that the implementation of the policy would be transparent.
However, some opposition parties have kicked against the charges, describing them as excessive and potentially restrictive to smaller political parties.
The state chairman of the Action Democratic Party and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Publicity Secretary, Mike Ojisi, were among those who criticised the new rates.
Ojisi said he was not aware of any IPAC meeting where the tariffs were agreed upon and argued that the charges could place less financially buoyant parties at a disadvantage ahead of the 2027 elections.
“The tariff is outrageous, exorbitant and a ploy to prevent other political parties from carrying out massive publicity through billboards. The tariff is totally unacceptable,” Ojisi said.
The controversy over the billboard charges comes as political parties and candidates intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections, with outdoor advertising expected to remain an important tool for reaching voters across the country.
