{
  "id": 18311073,
  "title": "Wike defends high Abuja billboard rates, says ‘politics is expensive’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/wike-defends-high-abuja-billboard-rates-says-politics-is-expensive",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-05T13:34:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch",
    "slug": "punch",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/wike-defends-high-abuja-billboard-rates-says-politics-is-expensive/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has defended the high cost of billboard advertising in Abuja, stating that politics is expensive both in Nigeria and throughout the world. Speaking during a monthly media chat in Port Harcourt on Thursday, Wike noted that the FCT needs to raise revenue, adding that billboard costs are a means of generating funds.\n\nThe Minister's comments follow complaints from several opposition parties regarding the high price of billboard advertising as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections. According to Daily Post Nigeria, opposition parties have alleged that the high costs prevent them from accessing communication media, while the All Progressives Congress has dominated major cities.\n\nWike argued that no party should view the price increases as a targeted attack. He suggested that political parties could utilize their own social media platforms to conduct campaigns.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}