A candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the Ilorin East/South Federal Constituency, Hon. Comrade Ibraheem Alfa Abdulrasheed Gbagba, has formally rejected the reported campaign permit fees allegedly introduced by the Kwara State Signage and Advertisement Agency (KWASAA), describing the proposed charges as excessive, disproportionate and potentially harmful to democratic participation.
Gbagba, who spoke on behalf of the NDC in Kwara State in a memorandum dated August 30, 2026, appealed to Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to immediately suspend the reported fee regime and initiate consultations with political parties, candidates, civil society organisations and other stakeholders ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to the memorandum, the reported fees are ₦100 million for a presidential candidate, ₦50 million for a governorship candidate, ₦30 million for a senatorial candidate, ₦10 million for a House of Representatives candidate and ₦2 million for a State House of Assembly candidate.
The NDC candidate stressed that his party does not oppose lawful regulation of political advertising, saying government has a legitimate responsibility to regulate billboards, campaign structures and other forms of outdoor advertising in the interest of public safety, environmental protection and orderly campaigning.
However, he argued that regulation should not become a financial barrier to political participation.
“The NDC supports reasonable regulation of political advertising, but we reject any regulatory regime that effectively puts a price on democratic participation,” the memorandum stated.
Gbagba questioned the basis for determining the reported charges according to the political office being contested rather than the actual size, location, number and duration of advertising structures.
He argued that there is a fundamental difference between paying a reasonable regulatory fee for a billboard, poster or campaign vehicle and paying millions of naira simply for the privilege of communicating political messages to voters.
‘Democracy Must Not Become Preserve of Wealthy’
The NDC candidate warned that the reported charges could further deepen the monetisation of Nigerian politics by giving financially powerful candidates and established political parties an advantage over emerging parties and grassroots candidates.
According to him, candidates already face substantial expenses associated with nomination forms, logistics, transportation, mobilisation, media, election agents and other legitimate campaign activities.
He therefore expressed concern that additional charges running into millions or tens of millions of naira could discourage young Nigerians, professionals, workers and grassroots politicians from participating meaningfully in electoral politics.
“Democracy belongs to the people—not only to the financially powerful,” he said.
Gbagba also described political communication as an essential component of democratic participation, arguing that campaign activities enable citizens to learn about candidates, policies, programmes and alternative visions of government.
He consequently urged KWASAA and the Kwara State Government to exercise caution in regulating political expression and ensure that any restrictions are legally grounded, proportionate and transparently administered.
NDC Demands Disclosure of Legal Basis
The NDC candidate demanded that KWASAA publicly disclose the legal and administrative foundation for the reported fees before their implementation.
Among other things, he called for the publication of the statutory provisions authorising the charges, relevant regulations, the complete 2027 political advertising fee schedule, the KWASAA Governing Board resolution approving the fees and the methodology used in arriving at the amounts.
He also demanded clarification on who would be responsible for payment, the duration of permits, whether separate payments would be required across different local government areas and whether the reported regime would extend to social-media advertising and political rallies.
The NDC maintained that until these issues are transparently addressed, implementation of the reported charges should be suspended.
Calls for Activity-Based Fees
Rather than imposing candidate-based charges, Gbagba proposed an activity-based system in which legitimate regulatory fees would correspond to the actual advertising activity being regulated.
Under the proposal, billboard charges could take into account size, location, number, duration and inspection requirements, while poster-related charges could be based on quantity, approved location and duration.
Similar principles, he said, could apply to campaign vehicles, booths and temporary campaign structures.
The NDC argued that such a system would enable KWASAA to perform its regulatory functions without making political participation prohibitively expensive.
Warning Against Selective Enforcement
The memorandum also called for strict political neutrality in the enforcement of any campaign advertising regulations.
The NDC demanded that there should be no selective enforcement, preferential treatment or discrimination against opposition and emerging political parties.
Gbagba said a regulation could appear equal on paper while having a disproportionately damaging effect on smaller parties that lack the financial resources of established political organisations.
He warned that excessive financial barriers could entrench money politics, discourage younger candidates, weaken emerging parties, reduce political diversity and ultimately restrict the choices available to voters.
Calls for Stakeholder Consultation
The NDC candidate appealed to Governor AbdulRazaq to direct an immediate review of the reported charges and convene a broad stakeholder meeting involving political parties, candidates, INEC, KWASAA, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), the Ministry of Justice, civil society organisations, media organisations, advertising practitioners, youth groups, women’s organisations and other relevant stakeholders.
He also called for the final regulatory framework to be published early enough to enable political parties and candidates to understand and comply with the rules before the 2027 elections.
The NDC emphasised that its objection was not against legitimate government regulation.
Rather, the party said it was opposed to what it described as “excessive regulation that becomes a financial barrier to democratic participation.”
The memorandum concluded with two slogans encapsulating the party’s position:
“KWASAA CAN REGULATE ADVERTISING, BUT MUST NOT PRICE DEMOCRACY.”
and
“REGULATE THE BILLBOARD, NOT THE CITIZEN’S RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE.”
The NDC candidate said the party remained committed to peaceful, lawful and issue-based political participation ahead of the 2027 general elections, while urging the Kwara State Government to suspend, review and restructure the reported campaign permit regime through a transparent and inclusive process.
