The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed dismay at decision of the Cross River State Signage and Advertisement Agency (CRISSAA) to impose huge advert rates on political parties, describing as shameful assault on democracy.
The agency slams N150 million for presidential political campaign advertisements, N100 million for governorship advertisements, N50 million for senatorial campaigns, N25 million for House of Representatives campaigns, and N5 million for State Assembly campaigns.
The Publicity Secretary of the PDP in Cross River State, Prince Mike Ojisi, who made the party’s feelings known on Wednesday in a statement made available to journalists in Calabar, the State capital, described the fees as outrageous, insensitive, and anti-democratic policies introduced by the All Progressives Congress, APC-led government in the State.
“At a time when Cross Riverians are crying under the weight of hunger, unemployment, collapsing businesses, poor roads, and a worsening standard of living, the government has chosen to place a staggering financial burden on political parties and candidates. This is not governance; it is political oppression disguised as regulation.
“The claim that these rates are “moderate” is laughable and completely disconnected from reality. How can any responsible government describe N100 million for governorship political advertisements as moderate in a state where civil servants, traders, farmers, youths, and entrepreneurs are struggling to survive?
“This policy raises serious concerns that the government is attempting to price the opposition out of the democratic process. It creates the appearance of a calculated effort to ensure that only those with access to enormous financial resources can effectively campaign, while opposition parties are weighed down by outrageous regulatory charges,” he stated.
The Publicity Secretary also highlighted as disturbing, the growing perception that the APC government is attempting to use money extracted from opposition political parties to strengthen its own political machinery ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Many Cross Riverians will understandably ask whether these excessive charges are being imposed to generate revenue that could ultimately benefit those already in power. That perception alone is dangerous for public confidence in democratic institutions and must not be ignored.
“The government, if genuinely committed to free and fair elections, should not be seen as imposing financial barriers that disproportionately affect its political competitors. Democracy cannot thrive where the referee appears to be placing heavy cost on one side of the contest.
“Even more disturbing is the misleading impression that opposition parties endorsed these exploitative charges. Let it be clearly stated that the IPAC State Chairman’s comments represent his personal opinion and, at best, the position of his own party which does not reflect the interest of others political parties, as other opposition parties reject these scandalous rates in their entirety,” Osiji.
“The PDP is calling on CRISSAA and the APC-led government to immediately reverse the outrageous charges, abandon the anti-democratic policy, and demonstrate a genuine commitment to free, fair, and inclusive elections in Cross River State.
“The government should immediately suspend the implementation of these rates and convene a transparent, inclusive consultation with all registered political parties, civil society organizations, media stakeholders, and electoral observers. Any regulatory framework governing political advertising must be fair, reasonable, transparent, and consistent with the principles of equal political participation.
“Cross River State deserves better. The people deserve a government that inspires confidence, not fear; a government that promotes participation, not exclusion; and a government that understands that democracy belongs to the people, not to those who can afford N150 million political advertisements.
“History will not judge a government by the fees it collected from political parties. History will judge it by whether it protected democratic freedoms, respected political competition, and created a level playing field for all,” the State Publicity Secretary of PDP stated.
Osiji explained that, the fact that the PDP did not attend the meeting made it dishonest for anyone to suggest that there was a broad consensus on this policy, stressing that, “consultation cannot be selective, and democracy cannot be manipulated through carefully choreographed endorsements.”
