The Cross River State Signage and Advertisement Agency (CRISSAA) has introduced new tariffs for political advertisements ahead of the 2027 general elections, fixing N150 million for presidential campaign billboards and N100 million for governorship candidates.
The new charges were announced by the Director-General of CRISSAA, Ubong Sam, during an interactive meeting with members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Calabar.
Under the new tariff regime, senatorial candidates are expected to pay N50 million for outdoor political advertisements, while House of Representatives candidates will pay N25 million. State House of Assembly candidates are to pay N5 million.
According to the agency, the charges are part of efforts to regulate political advertising and ensure that campaign materials placed across the state meet the required standards.
CRISSAA also said political parties and candidates will be required to submit campaign materials for screening and approval before they are mounted.
The agency warned that political parties must remove their campaign billboards and other advertising materials within 30 days after the declaration of election results.
Sam said materials left beyond the stipulated period could be regarded as a nuisance and removed by the agency, with defaulters also liable to fines or prosecution before the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON).
The CRISSAA boss defended the new tariffs, saying the rates were moderate when compared with what obtains in some neighbouring states. He also stressed that the agency would remain neutral in dealing with political parties and candidates.
However, the new charges have already generated controversy among political actors in the state.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Publicity Secretary in Cross River, Mike Ojisi, described the tariffs as outrageous and exorbitant. He argued that the high cost could make it difficult for less financially buoyant parties and candidates to compete effectively in the 2027 elections.
Ojisi also questioned the process through which the tariffs were arrived at, saying he was not part of any IPAC meeting where such charges were agreed upon.
On the other hand, the IPAC state chairman, Effiom Edet, reportedly described the tariffs as fair when compared with charges in other places, while the Special Adviser to the Governor on Inter-Party Affairs, Nkoyo Otu, assured political actors of transparency.
With political activities gradually building up ahead of the 2027 elections, the new CRISSAA charges are expected to fuel further debate over the cost of political participation in Cross River State, particularly the ability of smaller parties and candidates to compete for public visibility.
The controversy is likely to continue as political parties weigh the cost of billboard advertising against other forms of campaign publicity ahead of the elections.
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