2027 Poll: Candidates Face N571bn Campaign Spending Limit

A total of 146 presidential and governorship candidates in the 2027 elections could collectively spend as much as N571 billion under the campaign finance limits contained in the Electoral Act 2026.

The amount is based on the statutory ceiling of N10 billion for each presidential candidate and N3 billion for each governorship candidate.

There are currently 19 presidential candidates in the race, giving them a combined maximum spending limit of N190 billion. The 127 governorship candidates being tracked across 28 states have a combined ceiling of N381 billion.

The total of N571 billion represents the highest amount that could legally be spent if every candidate reaches the limit. It does not mean that the candidates have raised or will actually spend the entire amount during the election campaigns.

The figures come as political parties and candidates begin preparations for the 2027 elections following the commencement of campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly polls on Wednesday, August 19.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has already published the personal details and credentials of the 19 presidential candidates and their running mates.

INEC is yet to publish the complete official list of governorship candidates on its website, although available election data currently puts the number at 127 across the 28 states holding governorship elections next year.

The governorship election will not take place in Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo and Osun states because their election cycles are different.

The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State House of Assembly elections will take place on February 6.

The new Electoral Act has raised the campaign spending limits for various elective positions. A senatorial candidate can spend up to N500 million, while a House of Representatives candidate has a ceiling of N250 million.

Candidates contesting State House of Assembly seats and Area Council chairmanship positions can spend a maximum of N100 million each. The limit for Area Council councillorship candidates is N10 million.

The law also restricts individual donations to candidates. No individual is allowed to contribute more than N500 million to a single candidate, regardless of the position being contested.

A candidate who knowingly exceeds the prescribed spending limit may face a fine equal to one per cent of the permitted amount, imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both.

The new provisions have raised questions about how campaign spending will be monitored, particularly given the large sums involved in modern election campaigns.

INEC has the statutory responsibility to monitor campaign finances, while anti-corruption agencies are expected to support efforts to ensure compliance with the law.

The presidential contest includes President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.

Other presidential candidates include Sandy Onor of the Peoples Democratic Party, Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress, Donald Duke of the Peoples Redemption Party, Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party and Seyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement.

Several other parties are also fielding candidates for the presidential election.

At the governorship level, the APC and PDP have the highest number of candidates in the current election data, with 28 each. The ADC follows with 21, while the Labour Party has 16 and the NDC has nine.

The SDP has six candidates, while APM, PRP and Accord have three each, with other parties accounting for the remaining candidates.

Civil society organisations have raised concerns about whether the new limits can be effectively enforced.

The groups said setting spending ceilings would have little effect if electoral authorities could not accurately track the money spent by candidates and political parties.

They called for stronger cooperation between INEC, anti-corruption agencies, the media and civil society groups to monitor campaign advertisements, rallies, billboards, social media promotions, logistics and other expenses.

They also urged the authorities to strengthen penalties for violations, arguing that weak enforcement could encourage wealthy candidates and political parties to spend beyond the legal limits.

Campaign finance monitoring groups said expenses on television and radio adverts, newspaper publications, social media campaigns, campaign venues, transportation, posters and billboards could be tracked to determine whether candidates comply with the law.

The National Broadcasting Commission has also warned broadcasters, online publishers, bloggers and other media operators to exercise caution as political campaigns intensify.

The NBC urged media organisations to provide fair and balanced coverage and avoid presenting unverified political claims, allegations or statistics as established facts.

Broadcasters were also warned against allowing their platforms to promote hate speech, inflammatory messages, violence or content capable of deepening ethnic, religious or political divisions.

The commission said political advertisements must be clearly separated from news and editorial content and should comply with broadcasting regulations.

It further directed broadcasters to keep proper records of political airtime allocated to candidates and parties during the election period.

The NBC also warned media organisations against announcing or projecting election results from unofficial sources. It said results should only be reported after being announced by the authorised electoral officials.

According to the commission, monitoring of political broadcasts will be intensified throughout the election period, covering advertisements, debates, interviews, news reports, phone-in programmes, sponsored content and live broadcasts.

The measures are coming as political activities gather pace ahead of the 2027 elections, with campaign finance, media conduct and compliance with electoral laws expected to remain major issues throughout the election season.