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.
The General Manager of the Enugu State Structures for Signage and Advertisement Agency (ENSSAA), Mr. Francis Aninwike announced the mandatory fee Monday during a management meeting.
He said that the advertising permit fee covers local, state federal (general) elections in 2026 and 2027, meaning that the payment of the fees would take effect from party primaries that would precede the 2027 election campaigns.
The ENSSAA GM, 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 governments.
He explained that the ₦150 million fee grants 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.
“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 ₦150 million, payable to the Enugu State Government account,” he said.
Aninwike said that 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 flout 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 the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) are authorized to erect and manage billboards or campaign structures within the state.
“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,” he stated.
Aninwike further warned parties, vandidaes 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, therefore, urged political parties and supporters to conduct campaigns responsibly, noting 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 GM insisted that the guidelines would apply uniformly to all candidates and parties, including incumbents.
He noted that Governor Peter Mbah has consistently complied with advertising regulations in all his campaign and official promotional activities.
