PDP Candidate Rejects Kogi's N5m Campaign Levy

Michael Idoko, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate for Ogugu State Constituency in the Kogi State House of Assembly, has rejected the N5 million campaign signage fee imposed by the Kogi State Government ahead of the 2027 general elections. In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, Idoko described the levy as anti-democratic and detrimental to political participation, arguing that it favors candidates with greater financial resources.

The Kogi State Government had set the fees at N150 million for presidential candidates, N50 million for senatorial candidates, N30 million for House of Representatives candidates, and N5 million for State House of Assembly candidates. Kingsley Fanwo, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, announced these charges in Lokoja.

Idoko criticized the policy for disconnecting from the economic realities of ordinary citizens and emphasized that elections are won through grassroots mobilization and public trust, not through billboards. He stated that the N5 million could be better used to address community needs, warning that such levies could deter young and grassroots politicians from seeking office.