Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) have sued Abia State Governor Alex Otti and other state authorities over a N200 million fee imposed on presidential candidates seeking to display campaign materials in the state.
Makinde, who is the APM presidential candidate, filed the suit at the Abia State High Court alongside the party.
The suit, marked HC/214/2026, was filed through their lawyer, Musibau Adetunbi, SAN.
Other defendants named in the suit are the Abia State Attorney-General, Abia State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ASAA), and the Abia State House of Assembly.
Makinde and the APM are challenging the N200 million fee, arguing that it is unconstitutional and inconsistent with the Electoral Act 2026.
They are asking the court to set aside regulations issued by ASAA imposing the charge and stop the defendants from enforcing the fee.
They also want the court to prevent the removal, defacing, destruction or obstruction of their campaign billboards and outdoor advertisements.
The plaintiffs argue that Section 99(2) of the Electoral Act prohibits state apparatus and regulatory bodies from being used to advantage or disadvantage any political party or candidate.
They also contend that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), under the Constitution and the Electoral Act, has exclusive authority to make rules governing political campaigns.
Makinde and the APM further cited Section 92 of the Electoral Act, which sets the presidential campaign expenditure limit at N10 billion nationwide.
They argued that if states and the Federal Capital Territory imposed similar charges, billboard fees alone could consume more than 80 per cent of the statutory campaign spending limit.
The plaintiffs acknowledged that states have powers to regulate outdoor signage but argued that such powers cannot be exercised in a manner that frustrates or overrides federal electoral laws.
They are seeking a declaration that the N200 million billboard fee is unconstitutional, inconsistent with federal legislation and null and void.
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