Enugu Imposes N150m Advert Permit Fee on Parties, Candidates for 2026, 2027 Polls

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

Political parties and candidates participating in electoral contests in Enugu State in 2026 and 2027 would be required to pay N150 million fee for advertising permit.

General Manager of Enugu State Structures for Signage and Advertisement Agency (ENSSAA), Mr. Francis Aninwike,

announced the mandatory fee Monday during a management meeting.

Aninwike said the advertising permit fee covered local, state federal (general) elections in 2026 and 2027, meaning payment of the fees would take effect from party primaries that would precede the 2027 election campaigns.

Aninwike, who unveiled the “Outdoor Promotion and Visual Campaign Guidelines for 2026 and 2027 General Elections,” stated that the directive was in line with the agency’s statutory mandate.

According to him, ENSSAA has the mandate to regulate outdoor advertising and ensure orderliness, environmental aesthetics, and lawful conduct of campaign activities across Enugu’s 17 local government areas.

He explained the N150 million fee granted political parties and candidates the right to deploy campaign materials and engage in visual promotions, including rallies, banners, branded vehicles, T-shirts, caps, handbills, buntings, and street campaigns across both urban and rural areas.

Aninwike stated, “Every political party and candidate must obtain a campaign permit from ENSSAA before deploying any form of visual campaign or outdoor promotional materials.

“The statutory fee for the permit is N150 million, payable to the Enugu State Government account.”

Aninwike said the fee for political advertisements was imposed to prevent visual pollution, ensure a level playing field, maintain professional standards in outdoor advertising, and protect public infrastructure.

He warned that parties or candidates that flouted the regulation would have their campaign materials removed and could also face legal sanctions.

The ENSSAA boss further clarified that only practitioners registered and licensed by Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) were authorised to erect and manage billboards or campaign structures within the state.

he said, “No individual, political party, or support group is permitted to erect billboards or advertisement structures in any part of Enugu State without going through licensed ARCON practitioners as permitted by ENSSAA.”

Aninwike further warned parties, candidates and their supporters against the practice of defacing opponents’ campaign materials, saying that such practices are not only  undemocratic but also punishable under the law.

He urged political parties and supporters to conduct campaigns responsibly, stating that elections should not be treated as a “do-or-die affair,” but as a democratic process that allows citizens to freely choose their leaders.

On possible selective enforcement of the regulations, the ENSSAA general manager insisted that the guidelines would apply uniformly to all candidates and parties, including incumbents.

He stated that Governor Peter Mbah had consistently complied with advertising regulations in all his campaigns and official promotional activities.