By joshua PRESS RELEASE
IPAC KOGI CONDEMNS N150M CAMPAIGN SIGNAGE FEE AS ANTI-DEMOCRATIC, DEMANDS IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWAL
Lokoja, 12th August 2026
The Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, Kogi State Chapter has condemned in strong terms the decision of the Kogi State Government to impose new fees for campaign signage and promotional materials ahead of the 2027 general elections and the October 2026 Local Government elections.
In a statement released after an emergency meeting of IPAC in Lokoja, the Chairman of the Council, Alhaji Iliyas Badanga, described the approved rates as anti-democratic, exclusionary, and deliberately designed to muzzle opposition political parties in the state.
According to the statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon. Kingsley Fanwo, the government approved N150 million for Presidential candidates, N50 million for Senatorial candidates, N30 million for House of Representatives candidates, N5 million for State Assembly candidates, N2 million for Chairmanship candidates, and N300,000 for Councillorship candidates for campaign signage and related materials across the state.
The Commissioner said the fees were arrived at after a peer review and were meant to regulate political advertising, ensure compliance, and generate revenue for the state. He further warned that any campaign material placed without payment would be removed and offenders prosecuted. The General Manager of KOSSAA, Mr. Richard Osaseyi, also announced that full enforcement will commence next week.
IPAC Kogi rejects this decision outrightly. The Council notes that the fees are prohibitive, unrealistic, and a direct assault on the tenets of democracy, free speech, and equal opportunity for all political parties.
“The decision by the Kogi State Government is anti-people. Winning elections in 2027 is not about billboards, T-shirts or caps. It is about the people deciding based on what they perceive as good governance,” Alhaji Badanga stated.
IPAC maintains that no law should be used to financially cripple opposition parties and place democracy on sale to the highest bidder. While we acknowledge the need for regulation and order in the placement of campaign materials, such regulation must be reasonable, affordable, and not weaponized against political opponents.
The Council therefore calls on the Kogi State Government to withdraw the approved fees with immediate effect. We urge the government to engage all political parties and stakeholders to arrive at a realistic and democratic framework that will not shut out any party from participating in the electoral process.
IPAC Kogi reaffirms its commitment to peaceful, free, fair and inclusive elections in the state. We call on all political parties, civil society organizations, and the good people of Kogi State to resist any policy that seeks to undermine democratic norms.
Signed:
Hon. Iliyas Badanga,
Chairman, Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC,
Kogi State Chapter