2027 Elections: Presidential, Gov Candidates Face N571bn Spending Ceiling
A total of 146 presidential and governorship candidates in the 2027 elections could collectively spend up to N571 billionunder the campaign expenditure limits contained in the Electoral Act 2026. The figure comprises 19 presidential candidates, each permitted to spend a maximum of N10 billion, and 127 governorship candidates, each subject to a N3 billion ceiling. This puts the combined presidential spending limit at N190 billion, while governorship candidates have a collective ceiling of N381 billion. However, the N571 billion figure represents the maximum amount permitted by law and does not mean the candidates will actually raise or spend that amount. The new limits are significantly higher than those prescribed under the previous law. Candidates for the Senate can spend up to N500 million, while House of Representatives candidates have a N250 million limit. State House of Assembly and Area Council chairmanship candidates are limited to N100 million, while councillorship candidates can spend up to N10 million. The law also limits individual donations to a candidate to N500 million and provides penalties for knowingly exceeding the prescribed spending limits. The development comes as the Independent National Electoral Commission publishes the details and credentials of the 19 presidential candidates and their running mates ahead of the commencement of presidential campaigns. According to current election data, 127 governorship candidates are being tracked across the 28 states holding governorship elections in 2027. INEC's official website had yet to publish the complete governorship candidate list at the time of reporting. INEC has scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State House of Assembly elections will hold on February 6. Civil society groups have, however, questioned how effectively the new spending limits will be monitored and enforced. They called for stronger cooperation among INEC, anti-corruption agencies, the media and civil society to track campaign expenditure, including spending on advertisements, billboards, social media, campaign venues and other activities. The National Broadcasting Commission has also warned broadcasters, online publishers and content creators to maintain accuracy, fairness and balance throughout the campaign period. The NBC cautioned against misinformation, hate speech, inflammatory content and the publication of unofficial election results, stressing that broadcasters must distinguish political advertising from news and editorial content.
#UTVAfrica#
