morgANABLE politics/elections
The development comes as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) published the personal particulars and credentials of the presidential candidates and their running mates ahead of the commencement of campaigns on August 19, 2026.
KaNo —
No fewer than 146 candidates contesting the 2027 presidential and governorship elections could collectively spend as much as N571bn on campaigns, based on the expenditure ceilings prescribed by the Electoral Act 2026.
The figure represents the cumulative maximum spending permitted under Section 92 of the new law, which significantly raises campaign finance limits for candidates across all elective positions.
It includes 19 presidential candidates, each allowed to spend up to N10bn, and 127 governorship candidates, each with a spending cap of N3bn.
A breakdown of the figures shows that the 19 presidential candidates alone have a combined ceiling of N190bn, while the 127 governorship candidates could collectively spend up to N381bn.
When combined, the total potential campaign expenditure rises to N571bn.
However, analysts note that the figure represents only the statutory maximum allowable spending and does not necessarily reflect the actual amount that will be spent during the election cycle.
INEC publishes Candidates Names
The development comes as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) published the personal particulars and credentials of the presidential candidates and their running mates ahead of the commencement of campaigns on August 19, 2026.
While INEC has released the list of presidential candidates, the commission has yet to publish the final list of governorship candidates.
Its official election portal indicates that the information will be made available in due course. However, election tracking platform NGelections.com reports that 127 governorship candidates across 28 states are already in the race.
INEC has confirmed that governorship elections will hold in 28 states, excluding Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo and Osun, which are on off-cycle election schedules.
The commission has scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State House of Assembly elections will take place on February 6, 2027.
New Spending Limits
The Electoral Act 2026 introduced higher campaign spending limits compared to previous legislation, reflecting rising costs of political campaigns and inflationary pressures.
Under the new provisions, a presidential candidate is permitted to spend up to N10bn, while governorship candidates are limited to N3bn each.
For National Assembly elections, senatorial candidates have a ceiling of N500m, while House of Representatives candidates can spend up to N250m.
Candidates contesting State House of Assembly seats are permitted to spend a maximum of N100m, the same limit set for Area Council chairmanship elections. Councillorship candidates, on the other hand, have a spending ceiling of N10m.
Section 92 further prescribes sanctions for candidates who exceed the spending limits. Offenders risk a fine equivalent to one per cent of the maximum allowed expenditure, imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both.
Despite these provisions, there are concerns about enforcement. There is no publicly documented case of a Nigerian politician being successfully prosecuted for exceeding campaign spending limits, raising questions about the effectiveness of the regulatory framework.
INEC Vows On Monitoring Campaign Spending
Responding to inquiries on enforcement, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, stated that monitoring campaign finance remains the commission’s statutory responsibility.
He added that anti-corruption agencies are expected to collaborate with INEC in enforcing compliance.
Presidential Race Intensifies
The 2027 presidential contest features a diverse field of 19 candidates drawn from multiple political parties.
Among the leading contenders are incumbent 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 candidates in the race 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.
Additional candidates are representing parties such as the National Democratic Party, Young Progressives Party, Action Alliance, Boot Party, Democratic Liberty Alliance, Zenith Labour Party, Labour Party, National Rescue Movement, Action Democratic Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party and Action Peoples Party.
With each presidential candidate permitted to spend up to N10bn, the total potential expenditure for the presidential race alone stands at N190bn.
Governorship Contests Across States
At the state level, competition is even more intense, with 127 governorship candidates across 18 political parties contesting in 28 states.
The All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party dominate the field, each presenting candidates in all 28 states. The African Democratic Congress follows with 21 candidates, while the Labour Party has 16 and the Nigeria Democratic Congress has nine.
The Social Democratic Party has fielded six candidates, while the Allied Peoples Movement, Peoples Redemption Party and Accord Party have three candidates each. Other political parties have fewer candidates.
Given the N3bn spending cap per candidate, the governorship races could collectively attract up to N381bn in campaign expenditure.
When combined with the presidential spending ceiling, the total potential expenditure for both categories reaches N571bn, underscoring the high financial stakes of the 2027 elections.
Concerns Over Enforcement
Civil society organisations have raised concerns about the practicality of enforcing the new spending limits, warning that weak oversight could undermine the objectives of the law.
The Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, noted that while the law clearly stipulates spending thresholds, compliance remains uncertain.
“The law is very clear; political parties or candidates are not expected to go beyond certain thresholds. But looking at the amount and the capacity to enforce it, it is very doubtful,” he said.
Rafsanjani added that political actors and their supporters may find ways to circumvent the limits, especially in the absence of strict monitoring and sanctions.
Observers argue that effective enforcement will require stronger collaboration between INEC, anti-graft agencies, and civil society groups, as well as greater transparency in campaign financing.
As campaigns officially commence, attention is expected to shift to how candidates raise and spend funds, and whether regulatory authorities can ensure compliance with the law.