The House of Representatives has approved a major revision of campaign finance limits, raising the maximum amount presidential candidates can spend from ₦5 billion to ₦10 billion, while increasing the ceiling for governorship candidates from ₦1 billion to ₦3 billion.

The decision followed the passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2025 after clause-by-clause consideration of a report by the House Committee on Electoral Matters, chaired by Adebayo Balogun.

Lawmakers also approved provisions mandating the real-time electronic transmission of election results by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Under the amended Clause 93(2), spending limits for National Assembly candidates were significantly increased.

Senators are now permitted to spend up to ₦500 million, up from ₦100 million, while candidates for the House of Representatives can spend up to ₦250 million, compared to the previous ₦70 million.

For state constituencies, the ceiling was raised from ₦30 million to ₦100 million.

Chairmanship candidates can now spend up to ₦60 million, up from ₦30 million, while councillorship candidates’ limits increased from ₦5 million to ₦10 million.

The House also approved a provision capping individual or corporate donations at ₦500 million per candidate.

Reacting to the development, political scientist Prof. Gbade Ojo said the rising cost of politics has fundamentally altered Nigeria’s democratic space, warning that it increasingly excludes ordinary citizens.

According to him, the new limits reinforce a system dominated by wealth, shutting out competent and experienced professionals who lack the financial capacity to compete.

He questioned INEC’s ability to effectively monitor campaign spending, arguing that the absence of reliable tracking mechanisms makes enforcement difficult.

Ojo also warned that widening gaps between registered voters and actual voter turnout point to growing public disengagement, adding that higher campaign spending could further entrench vote buying and undermine electoral credibility.

Similarly, Dr Edun Abdulkareem, Head of the Department of Political Science at the University of Ilorin, described the trend as dangerous, saying it promotes a culture where public office is treated as an investment to be recouped once power is attained.

He cautioned that this could deepen corruption, marginalise communities, and turn democracy into the preserve of a few.

Beyond campaign finance, the House approved amendments mandating INEC to transmit election results electronically and in real time to the IReV portal.

The new Clause 60(3) requires presiding officers to upload results after the prescribed EC8A forms are signed and stamped at polling units.

Lawmakers also strengthened the legal backing for the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, making it the primary accreditation tool.

Where BVAS fails and no replacement is deployed, the election in the affected polling unit will be cancelled and rescheduled within 24 hours if the outcome substantially affects the final result.

The House further approved tougher sanctions for vote buying and selling, introducing a minimum of two years’ imprisonment or a ₦5 million fine, or both, alongside a 10-year ban from contesting elections.

Penalties for multiple voter registration were increased, while presiding officers who deliberately breach procedures on counting, announcement, or transmission of results now face heavier fines or jail terms.

Lawmakers also approved early release of election funds to INEC at least one year before general elections, extended deadlines for submission of candidates’ lists from 180 to 210 days, and permitted the use of electronically generated voter identification, including downloadable voter cards with QR codes.

However, the House rejected a proposal seeking to criminalise inducement of delegates during party primaries, congresses, and conventions.

Lawmakers expressed concerns that the provision could be misused and opted to delete it entirely from the bill.

Civil society groups, including the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, welcomed the amendments, particularly the mandatory electronic transmission of results.

CISLAC’s Executive Director, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, described the move as a major step toward restoring transparency and public confidence in elections, though analysts cautioned that challenges such as poor network infrastructure could affect implementation.

The House Committee on Electoral Matters explained that proposals on early voting, inmate voting, changes to election timelines, and replacement of Permanent Voter Cards were dropped due to lack of broad consensus among lawmakers and stakeholders.

The committee said the amendments were designed to strengthen the existing Electoral Act 2022 without destabilising the legal framework.

According to the committee, the approved changes reflect a balance between reform ambitions and legislative consensus, with the aim of improving transparency, accountability, and the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Friday dismissed speculation about potential challengers to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election, saying the president has no credible rival and that elections are not won on social media platforms.

Shettima made the remarks during the 15th meeting of the National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress, APC, held at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.

According to the vice president, only individuals acting without a clear understanding of Nigeria’s political realities would contemplate running against Tinubu in 2027, though he acknowledged that democracy allows anyone to contest.

He stressed that electoral victories are secured through broad coalitions, credibility, and conviction, rather than online popularity or digital noise.

“Elections are not won by noise or nostalgia,” Shettima said, noting that platforms such as Facebook and X, formerly Twitter, do not determine electoral outcomes.

He added that the experience of President Tinubu and the lessons drawn from past elections provide the ruling party with a strong advantage heading into the next poll.

Describing 2027 as a responsibility rather than a gamble, Shettima expressed confidence that the APC would secure another mandate, saying the party was on course for what he called a renewed blessing at the polls.

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed an appeal filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, challenging the leadership of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, and ordered the electoral body to pay a cost of ₦2 million.

In its decision, the apex court held that the appeal lacked merit and declined to interfere with the concurrent judgments of the lower courts.

The court noted that the matter had become academic, as the disputed by-elections had already been conducted and the winners sworn in.

The dispute arose from INEC’s refusal to recognise candidates fielded by the SDP in by-elections held across 12 states of the federation.

The party had approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, arguing that its candidates emerged from valid primaries monitored by INEC, and that the commission had no basis for excluding them.

On October 17, the Federal High Court ruled in favour of the SDP and ordered INEC to recognise and include the party’s candidates in the elections.

INEC complied with the order but proceeded to challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal.

In a unanimous decision delivered by a panel led by Justice Adebukola Banjoko, the Court of Appeal dismissed INEC’s appeal and affirmed the judgment of the high court.

Dissatisfied, INEC further appealed to the Supreme Court, seeking to set aside the appellate court’s ruling.

INEC argued that the letters and notices submitted to it by the SDP were invalid because they were signed by the party’s Acting National Chairman, Dr Sadiq Umar Abubakar, and National Secretary, Dr Olu Agunloye, who the commission said had been suspended by the party.

However, in the lead judgment delivered by Justice Mohammed Idris, the Supreme Court held that there was no live issue left for determination.

The court observed that since the elections had already taken place and all elected officials had been sworn in, there was nothing upon which it could exercise its adjudicatory powers.

The five-member panel stressed that courts do not engage in academic or hypothetical questions and declined to delve into issues relating to the interpretation of the Electoral Act in the absence of a live dispute.

Consequently, the apex court dismissed the appeal and awarded a cost of ₦2 million against INEC’s counsel.

President Bola Tinubu on Friday presented a ₦58.18 trillion budget proposal for the 2026 fiscal year to a joint sitting of the National Assembly, outlining his administration’s fiscal priorities amid ongoing economic reforms and security challenges.

The proposal sets capital expenditure at ₦26.08 trillion, while recurrent non-debt spending stands at ₦15.25 trillion.

Tinubu also pegged the crude oil benchmark at US$64.85 per barrel, with projected production of 1.84 million barrels per day and an exchange rate assumption of ₦1,400 to the dollar.

According to the president, expected total revenue for 2026 is ₦34.33 trillion, while debt servicing is estimated at ₦15.52 trillion.

The resulting budget deficit of ₦23.85 trillion represents about 4.28 per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product.

Sectoral allocations show a strong tilt toward security and infrastructure. Defence and security received the highest allocation of ₦5.41 trillion, followed by infrastructure with ₦3.56 trillion.

Education was allocated ₦3.52 trillion, while health received ₦2.48 trillion.

The proposal is titled Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity.

Addressing lawmakers, Tinubu said the budget reflects more than fiscal arithmetic.

He described it as a statement of national priorities, stressing his administration’s commitment to fiscal sustainability, transparency in debt management, and value-for-money spending.

On security, the president said the heavy allocation was informed by persistent insecurity across parts of the country.

He noted that his government would continue to modernise the armed forces, strengthen intelligence-led policing, improve border security, and deploy technology-driven surveillance alongside community-based peacebuilding initiatives.

Tinubu said security spending would be tied to measurable outcomes, adding that boosting personnel strength and procuring advanced equipment for security agencies remain central to his plans.

The budget presentation also came against the backdrop of economic reforms introduced since his assumption of office in May 2023, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira, which contributed to rising inflation and cost-of-living pressures.

While acknowledging the hardship faced by Nigerians, Tinubu maintained that the economy has begun to stabilise.

He assured citizens that the sacrifices made would yield long-term benefits, describing the reform path as difficult but necessary for sustainable growth.

The president further pledged increased investment in infrastructure and agriculture, describing food security as a core national security concern.

He said the 2026 budget prioritises input financing, mechanisation, irrigation, climate-resilient farming, storage, processing, and agro-value chains.

According to him, these measures are aimed at reducing post-harvest losses, raising farmers’ incomes, deepening agro-industrialisation, and building a more diversified and resilient economy.

The Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Ireti Kingibe, has identified the Abuja Municipal Area Council as the starting point of her political push ahead of the February 2026 area council elections, following her defection from the Labour Party to the African Democratic Congress.

Kingibe made the declaration on Thursday, less than 24 hours after formally joining the ADC in preparation for the 2027 general elections.

She completed her registration at her Wuse Ward in AMAC, describing the move as the beginning of a serious political contest rather than a ceremonial exercise.

Speaking to journalists and party supporters after receiving her ADC membership card, the senator said the party was determined to take control of all six area councils in the FCT, beginning with AMAC.

She said the task ahead was a major political battle, stressing that AMAC, as her local government area and Wuse as her ward, naturally provided the launchpad for the ADC’s grassroots mobilisation.

The event also featured the unveiling of the ADC’s chairmanship and councillorship candidates across the FCT, with party flags presented to signal the party’s readiness for the February polls.

Political watchers believe Kingibe’s entry into the ADC could reshape the political landscape in the FCT, as competition for grassroots dominance intensifies ahead of the 2026 council elections and the 2027 general polls.

Former National Chairman of the ADC, Ralph Nwosu, described Kingibe’s defection as a major boost to the party’s growing influence in the territory.

He said her decision reflected a wider national realignment driven by public frustration with existing political arrangements.

According to Nwosu, the defection of the FCT’s senator was a strong signal that Nigerians were seeking a new political direction, adding that the ADC was steadily emerging as a rallying point for change.

He, however, noted that the party would be selective in admitting new members, insisting it would not become a haven for politicians motivated solely by money or personal ambition.

Also speaking, the ADC National Treasurer, Mani Ahmed, said the party was fully prepared for upcoming elections at both local and national levels.

He stated that widespread dissatisfaction with governance had positioned the ADC as a credible alternative.

From the constituency angle, Head of Senator Kingibe’s constituency office and national ex-official representing the FCT, Emmanuel Destiny, said the senator’s defection marked the start of a new political chapter for residents of the territory, particularly women and young people.

He urged women and youths to rally behind Kingibe, arguing that Nigerians were yearning for meaningful change amid hardship, insecurity and economic pressure, and that the ADC offered a viable platform for that transformation.