Reps Take New Action on How Much Politicians Can Spend for 2027 Campaigns
- The House of Representatives approved higher campaign spending limits for all elective offices ahead of the 2027 elections
- The lawmakers also raised expenditure ceilings for governorship, National Assembly, state assembly and local government candidates
- The amendments were passed during the plenary session as part of ongoing Electoral Act reforms and will take effect only after Senate concurrence and the president's assent
Legit.ng's Muslim Muhammad Yusuf is a 2025 Wole Soyinka Award-winning journalist with over 8 years of experience in investigative reporting, human rights, politics, governance and accountability in Nigeria.
The House of Representatives has approved a major upward review of campaign spending limits for candidates contesting elective offices in Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The decision was taken on Thursday, December 18, during plenary after lawmakers adopted the report of a bill seeking to amend the Electoral Act 2022 through clause-by-clause consideration.
Source: Facebook
Under the amended provisions, the maximum amount a presidential candidate can spend on electioneering was increased from ₦5 billion to ₦10 billion.
According to the cable, for governorship contests, the spending ceiling was raised from ₦1 billion to ₦3 billion, while senatorial candidates will now be allowed to spend up to ₦500 million, up from the previous ₦100 million limit.
Candidates vying for seats in the House of Representatives will have a new spending cap of ₦250 million, an increase from ₦70 million. For state House of Assembly elections, the limit was revised upward from ₦30 million to ₦100 million.
At the local government level, chairmanship candidates can now spend up to ₦100 million, compared to the earlier ₦30 million ceiling, while councillorship candidates will be permitted to spend ₦10 million, up from ₦5 million.
The revised Electoral Act provisions will only take effect after concurrence by the Senate and assent by the President.
Donation limits have also been raised
In addition to campaign expenditure, lawmakers also approved a significant increase in the maximum amount individuals or entities can donate to candidates.
Source: Twitter
Under the revised proposal, the donation cap was raised from ₦50 million to ₦500 million, a move that expands the scale of private funding allowed in electoral contests.
The amendments form part of broader legislative efforts to review Nigeria’s electoral framework ahead of the 2027 polls.
On Wednesday, the House also approved a proposal mandating real-time electronic transmission of election results.
People reacts
This decision got many people talking on X as the new limits captured their attention.
@DrayLord6582
How are they recovering all this spending. If you spend so much like this during Election and won. You will do every possible best to recover your money. That's why corruption will never end.
@doyleparton
And we will expect them not to be corrupt after election. Where would they get back their money because I know their 4 years salary is not up to these amounts stated above
@TheChels001
How much is the cumulative base salary and allowance for these office holders over the 4 years in office? We keep strengthening the foundation of corruption in this country, nice one.
@Rapuruchi4
Do you think that they will protect the interests of the people after spending this much money on elections?
@Ameer1219257
And you expect someone who spent that much to act in the interest of the people?
@afonneGC
This isn't about making elections better. It's about pricing out citizens who actually want to serve. They just built a bigger fence to keep common people away from leadership. Clear as day.
Reps set up committee to probe alleged alterations of tax laws
Legit.ng earlier reported that the House of Representatives set up a seven-member committee to investigate allegations that tax laws were altered after being passed by the National Assembly.
A lawmaker had on Wednesday raised concerns that the gazetted versions of the laws did not reflect what was debated and approved on the floor of the House.
Speaker Abbas Tajudeen assured members that the claims would be examined to protect the integrity of the legislative process.
Source: Legit.ng
