Cross River Sets N150m Fee for Presidential Campaign Billboards

(CRISSAA. Photo by Tribune Online)

The Cross River State Signage and Advertisement Agency has established revised fee structures for political billboards and campaign materials in preparation for the 2027 electoral cycle.

Presidential campaign advertising has been priced at N150 million, whilst gubernatorial campaign materials attract N100 million in charges.

The agency characterised these arrangements as regulatory instruments designed to standardise political advertising practices, encourage substantive campaign discourse and enforce compliance with prescribed guidelines.

The Director-General outlined during consultation sessions that political contestants seeking to install billboards or utilise supplementary advertising mediums within the state must submit their proposed materials to the agency minimum 21 days prior to placement for mandatory examination and authorisation.

Senatorial campaign advertisements incur N50 million in charges, House of Representatives candidates face N25 million fees, and State House of Assembly aspirants are assessed N5 million respectively.

The Director-General emphasised that fee structures were calibrated to reflect contemporary economic circumstances through collaborative stakeholder engagement.

He characterised the rates as appropriately scaled and politically neutral, facilitating multiparty electoral participation.

The Governor’s Special Adviser endorsed the fee schedule as proportionate, exhorting political organisations, contestants and their constituent groups to execute campaign activities respecting mutual civility and comprehension.

She underscored peaceful electoral conduct as essential during escalating political engagement preceding the elections.

The state IPAC Chairman similarly affirmed that competing political formations accepted the framework, noting comparative moderation relative to charges imposed in other jurisdictions.

He urged adherence to established advertising protocols, asserting that compliance would foster stable political environments.

The Labour Party’s state chairman advocated for fee reductions, contending that further downward adjustments would democratise political participation amidst prevailing economic constraints affecting state populations and electoral contenders.