Barely one year after President Bola Tinubu celebrated his 73rd birthday, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has refused to pay the N24 million advert placed in his honour.

Though the advert was placed by the former National Chairman of the party, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje on behalf of the party, the ruling party did not pay for the advert till he was shown the way out of the office.

Since then all entreaties to the leadership of the party to pay for the advert owed some of the correspondents covering its activities have been to no avail.

Aside Tinubu’s congratulatory advert, the party was also owing adverts placed to celebrate other prominent figures including the party’s founding chairman, Chief Bisi Akande’s last two years birthday advert and some state governors.

While the advertisements placed to celebrate Akande’s 85th birthday were placed on January 15, 2024, Tinubu’s 73rd birthday advert was placed on March 29, 2025.

Also, the full-page colour adverts highlighting Tinubu’s electoral victory, leadership milestones and well-being— were published prominently in major national newspapers including The Guardian, The Nation, The Sun and Nigerian Tribune, among others with assurances of immediate payment.

Unfortunately, some of the affected reporters have had their salaries stopped by the respective organisations due to the refusal of the party to pay the advert money it is owing.

One of the affected reporters who pleaded anonymity due to fear of victimisation by the party said: “It is frustrating. My office thought I had collected the money, whereas I haven’t. The most annoying thing is that they could have easily been confirmed from the party, but they did not.

“Unfortunately, the National Publicity Secretary of the party that could have helped to push for the payment of the advert is barely on seat. He hardly comes to the party secretariat. We don’t even know when the party will pay.”

Another affected reporter said nothing fears him than collecting advert on credit from APC, saying the party is not credit worthy.

“Sometimes I have to use my own personal money to pay whenever the pressure from my office is getting too much.”

Media managers say the delay has forced some organisations to reconsider the longstanding tradition of publishing political goodwill messages on trust—particularly from major parties expected to honour financial commitments.

Analysts warned that the optics are troubling. A governing party that publicly celebrates its leader while privately leaving obligations unsettled risks reputational damage.

“It raises questions about internal coordination and financial discipline,” a communications analyst observed. “When a congratulatory advert for your own President remains unpaid after two years, it becomes more than a billing issue—it becomes an image problem.”

Sources within the party further claim that despite assurances by the current national chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, to offset the outstanding debt, some officials have allegedly failed to act on the directive.

For many in the media industry, the issue has transcended routine debt recovery and entered the realm of principle and professional respect.

“Why would the party officials pay when they have no personal interests?” another affected journalist who pleaded anonymity, adding, “It doesn’t seem to bother them whether reporters’ salaries were affected after those adverts were published.” (THISDAY)

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