At least 146 candidates contesting the 2027 presidential and governorship elections could spend up to N571bn under the Electoral Act 2026.
The figure covers 19 presidential candidates and 127 governorship candidates. Each presidential candidate can spend up to N10bn, while each governorship candidate has a N3bn limit. The presidential candidates therefore have a combined ceiling of N190bn. The governorship candidates have a combined limit of N381bn. However, the N571bn is only the maximum amount allowed by law. It does not mean the candidates will actually spend that amount.
The development comes as the Independent National Electoral Commission publishes the details and credentials of the 19 presidential candidates and their running mates. INEC has fixed January 16, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly elections. The governorship and State House of Assembly elections will hold on February 6.
New campaign spending limits
Section 92 of the Electoral Act 2026 also sets limits for other candidates. Senatorial candidates can spend up to N500m. House of Representatives candidates have a ceiling of N250m. State House of Assembly and Area Council chairmanship candidates can spend up to N100m. Area Council councillorship candidates have a N10m limit.
The law also limits individual donations to N500m per candidate. Candidates who knowingly exceed the limits may face a fine, up to 12 months in prison, or both. INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna said the commission has a duty to monitor campaign finance.
“It’s the Commission’s statutory responsibility to monitor the campaign finance of all political parties.”
2027 presidential race
The presidential race includes President Bola Tinubu of the APC, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the ADC and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi of the NDC. Other candidates include Omoyele Sowore, Donald Duke, Adewole Adebayo and Seyi Makinde. With 19 candidates allowed to spend N10bn each, the presidential race has a combined ceiling of N190bn.
127 governorship candidates
The governorship race currently has 127 candidates across 28 states. The APC and PDP have 28 candidates each. The ADC follows with 21, while the Labour Party has 16 and the NDC has nine. At N3bn per candidate, the governorship race has a combined spending ceiling of N381bn.
CSOs demand stronger enforcement
Civil society groups have questioned whether INEC can effectively monitor campaign spending. The Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, called for stronger enforcement and greater cooperation among INEC, political parties and other stakeholders.
Similarly, Debo Adeniran of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership urged the media and civil society to help track campaign spending. He said spending on adverts, billboards, social media and campaign events should be monitored. ActionAid Nigeria Country Director, Andrew Mamedu, said spending limits could prevent wealthy candidates from gaining an unfair advantage.
He also warned that excessive campaign spending could encourage corruption through financial arrangements between politicians and their supporters. Meanwhile, the National Broadcasting Commission has warned broadcasters, bloggers and online publishers against spreading misinformation, hate speech and inflammatory content during the 2027 campaigns.
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