The National Assembly has increased the campaign spending ceiling for presidential elections from N5 billion to N10 billion under the newly enacted Electoral Act 2026.
Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed the major provisions of the new law in a statement issued by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs on Sunday.
He said Section 92(1-8) of the Act reviewed upward the spending limits for various elective positions.
Under the new regime, governorship candidates can now spend up to N3 billion, up from N1 billion.
The ceiling for Senate elections has been raised from N100 million to N500 million; House of Representatives from N70 million to N250 million; House of Assembly from N30 million to N100 million; Area Council chairmanship from N30 million to N60 million; and councillorship from N5 million to N10 million.
The law also introduces stiffer penalties for electoral offences. Bamidele explained that Section 125(1-2) prescribes a two-year jail term or a fine ranging from N500,000 to N2 million, or both, for offences such as vote buying, impersonation and result manipulation.
In addition, Section 74(1) mandates Resident Electoral Commissioners to release certified true copies of requested electoral documents within 24 hours of payment.
Failure to comply attracts a minimum two-year prison term without the option of fine.
The new Act establishes a dedicated fund for the Independent National Electoral Commission to strengthen its financial autonomy and operational stability.
It also mandates the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System for voter accreditation and enforces compulsory electronic transmission of results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal.
Section 60(3) makes electronic transmission of polling unit results mandatory, while Section 60(6) imposes a six-month prison sentence or a N500,000 fine, or both, on any presiding officer who deliberately frustrates the process.
However, the law permits the use of Form EC8A where electronic transmission fails due to communication challenges, as prescribed by INEC.
The legislation further requires political parties to maintain digital membership registers and submit them to INEC at least 21 days before primaries, congresses or conventions. Parties that fail to comply will be barred from fielding candidates.
Indirect primaries have been removed, leaving only direct and consensus options in a bid to curb monetisation and broaden participation.
Other reforms include provisions supporting persons with visual impairment, gender-sensitive queue arrangements where culturally necessary, and a N10 million fine for any political party that fails to submit accurate audited financial returns within the stipulated period.
The harmonised bill was passed by the National Assembly and transmitted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who signed it into law within 24 hours.
Lawmakers said the swift assent was necessary to prevent constitutional complications ahead of preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Bamidele maintained that the law was the product of two years of consultations involving civil society organisations, INEC, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and development partners.
He said the Electoral Act 2026 is designed to strengthen institutional independence, enhance transparency, improve technological integration and reinforce accountability in Nigeria’s electoral system.
