Nigeria’s campaign finance landscape has shifted significantly after the National Assembly doubled the spending ceiling for presidential candidates to ₦10 billion under the new Electoral Act 2026, ahead of the 2027 general election.
The revised law, signed by President Bola Tinubu on February 18, increases the governorship spending limit from ₦1 billion to ₦3 billion.
It also raises the cap for Senate candidates from ₦100 million to ₦500 million, while House of Representatives hopefuls can now spend up to ₦250 million, up from ₦70 million.
Under the previous Electoral Act 2022, presidential candidates were restricted to ₦5 billion the new legislation, however, reflects what lawmakers described as prevailing economic realities and rising campaign costs.
According to Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, the upward review retains statutory limits to regulate election financing while acknowledging inflationary pressures.
The law also adjusts spending thresholds for state assembly candidates from ₦30 million to ₦100 million.
Area council chairmanship candidates can now spend ₦60 million, up from ₦30 million, while councillorship candidates are capped at ₦10 million, double the previous ₦5 million limit.
Beyond campaign financing, the Act introduces stiffer penalties for electoral offences. Bamidele said offenders involved in vote buying, impersonation or result manipulation face two years’ imprisonment or fines ranging between ₦500,000 and ₦2 million, or both.
Presiding officers who wilfully frustrate the electronic transmission of results risk six months’ imprisonment or a ₦500,000 fine.
The law also mandates the compulsory use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and electronic transmission of results to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal.
Lawmakers say the reforms are designed to strengthen transparency, reduce disputes and enhance the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process as preparations gather pace for 2027.
