N150m Campaign Ad Tariff for Presidential Candidates: Cross River State Fixes High Rates

C'River Pegs Presidential Campaign Ads at High Tariffs

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The Cross River State Signage and Advertisement Agency, CRISSAA, has fixed N150 million as the tariff for outdoor campaign advertisements by presidential candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections. Under the new tariff, governorship candidates are to pay N100 million, while senatorial, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly candidates are required to pay N50 million, N25 million and N5 million respectively.

Regulatory Measures

Ubong Sam, Director-General of CRISSAA, disclosed this during an interactive session with the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, in Calabar. Sam also directed political parties to remove their campaign billboards and other advertising materials within 30 days after the declaration of election results.

He said the rates were moderate compared with what obtained in neighbouring states, adding that the agency remained impartial in its dealings with political parties and candidates. Sam warned that defaulters risked having their campaign materials removed, paying fines or facing prosecution before the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, ARCON.

Backlash from Opposition Parties

However, several opposition parties have kicked against the tariffs, describing them as outrageous and accusing CRISSAA of attempting to shut out candidates from less financially buoyant political parties from using billboards for publicity ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking with Vanguard, Mike Ojisi, Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, condemned the tariffs, saying, "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,"

Regulatory Background

CRISSAA was established to regulate the signage and advertising industry in Cross River State. In recent years, the agency has intensified efforts to sanitize the industry and bring order to the proliferation of billboards and advertising materials in the state.

With this backdrop, the agency's decision to fix high tariffs for campaign advertisements has sparked intense debates, with many opposition parties questioning the rationale behind the move.

Cross River State's campaign advertisement rates have left several opposition parties fuming.