The FCT Minister has announced a N750 million fee for presidential campaign billboard permits in Abuja. Outrageous. Preposterous. And dangerously familiar.
Let’s call it what it is: Wike abracadabra. Policy by price tag designed to frustrate opposition, shrink the democratic space, and turn Abuja into a “pay-to-play” capital.
Campaigning is not a luxury. It’s the oxygen of democracy. When you put a N750 million gate in front of visibility, you are not regulating billboards. You are regulating who gets to contest. You are telling young candidates, small parties, and new voices: “Stay home. This city is not for you.”
Lagos didn’t become great by taxing ambition out of the room. Democracies grow by lowering barriers, not erecting toll booths on freedom of expression.
If the goal is sanity and aesthetics, regulate size, location, and timing. Don’t monetize access to the ballot.
Abuja belongs to all Nigerians, not just those who can afford a campaign tax.
Leadership is not about blocking opponents. It’s about competing with ideas.
If we normalize this now, 2027 will be decided by wallets, not votes.
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bcradle@ymail.com
