The House of Representatives has approved sweeping increases in campaign spending limits for candidates seeking elective offices in Nigeria, raising the ceiling for presidential candidates from N5bn to N10bn as part of proposed amendments to the Electoral Act 2022.
The decision was taken on Thursday during plenary, following a clause-by-clause consideration of a report on proposed reforms to the nation’s electoral framework ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Under the amendments approved by lawmakers, the maximum amount a presidential candidate can spend on campaigns was doubled to N10bn, while the spending limit for governorship candidates was increased from N1bn to N3bn.
Senatorial candidates will now be allowed to spend up to N500m, a sharp rise from the previous N100m ceiling. Similarly, candidates contesting seats in the House of Representatives can now spend up to N250m, up from the earlier cap of N70m.
At the state level, the campaign expenditure limit for House of Assembly candidates was raised from N30m to N100m. For local government elections, chairmanship candidates will now be permitted to spend as much as N100m, compared to the former N30m limit, while councillorship candidates’ spending cap was doubled from N5m to N10m.
In addition to the upward review of campaign expenditure limits, the House also approved a major increase in political donations, raising the maximum amount an individual or organisation can contribute to a candidate from N50m to N500m.
The amendments are part of broader legislative efforts by the House to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral process. On Wednesday, lawmakers also approved a proposal mandating the real-time transmission of election results, a move aimed at enhancing transparency and credibility in elections.
However, the proposed changes will not take effect until they are concurred by the Senate and subsequently assented to by the President.
The latest decision has already sparked debates among political stakeholders, with critics warning that higher spending limits could further entrench money politics, while supporters argue that inflation and rising campaign costs necessitated the review.
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