The House of Representatives has approved sweeping changes to the Electoral Act 2022, significantly raising campaign spending limits for candidates contesting elective offices in Nigeria.
The decision was reached during Thursday’s plenary after a clause‑by‑clause consideration of the amendment report.
Under the new provisions, the maximum amount a presidential candidate can spend on electioneering campaigns has been doubled from ₦5 billion to ₦10 billion. Spending ceilings for other elective positions were also raised:
- Governorship candidates: ₦1 billion → ₦3 billion
- Senatorial candidates: ₦100 million → ₦500 million
- House of Representatives candidates: ₦70 million → ₦250 million
- State Assembly candidates: ₦30 million → ₦100 million
- Local government chairmanship candidates: ₦30 million → ₦100 million
- Councillorship candidates: ₦5 million → ₦10 million
In addition to campaign expenditure limits, lawmakers approved a steep increase in the maximum donation an individual or organisation can make to a candidate—from ₦50 million to ₦500 million.
Legislators argued that the adjustment reflects current economic realities and the rising costs of political campaigns.
The amendments form part of broader legislative efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral framework ahead of the 2027 general elections.
On Wednesday, the House also passed a landmark reform mandating the real‑time electronic transmission of election results, a measure long demanded by civil society groups and election observers.
The proposed amendments will take effect once they are concurred to by the Senate and signed into law by the President.
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Wow, that is a whole lot of money. I didn’t know senatorial campaigns cost more than presidential campaigns. A whopping 500M, wow, just wow.