Electoral Bill: NASS Raises Costs For Presidential Candidates To ₦5bn

The National Assembly has raised election costs for presidential candidates from ₦1 billion to ₦5 billion.

Naija News reports that the National Assembly made the provision in the revised Electoral Act Amendment Bill passed by the lawmakers last week.

In the revised electoral bill which will be sent to Buhari for assent, presidential candidates have the chance to spend up to ₦5 billion as election expenses.

Also, governorship candidates can now spend ₦1 billion as election costs against ₦200 million which was the former amount pegged by the National Assembly.

The National Assembly also raised the election costs for Senatorial candidates from ₦40 million to ₦100 million while House of Representatives candidates increased the expenses from ₦20 million to ₦70 million.

For Chairmanship candidates, the maximum amount of election expenses to be incurred by a candidate shall not exceed ₦30 million while councillorship candidates can now spend ₦5 million as election costs.

The new section 91 (1) reads: “Election expenses shall not exceed the sum stipulated in subsections (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) and (7).

“(2) The maximum election expenses to be incurred by a candidate at a presidential election shall not exceed ₦5,000,000,000.00.

“(3) The maximum amount of election expenses to be incurred by a candidate in respect of governorship election shall not exceed ₦1,000,000,000.00.

“(4) The maximum amount of election expenses to be incurred by a Candidate in respect of the Senatorial and House of Representatives seat shall not exceed ₦100,000,000.00 and ₦70,000,000.00 respectively.

“(5) In the case of State Assembly election, the maximum amount of election expenses to be incurred by a candidate shall not exceed ₦30,000,000.00.

“(6) In the case of a chairmanship election to an Area Council, the maximum amount of election expenses to be incurred by a candidate shall not exceed ₦30,000,000.00.

“(7) In the case of Councillorship election to an Area Council, the maximum amount of election expenses to be incurred by a candidate shall not exceed ₦5,000,000.00.”

The parliament also increased the amount an individual can donate to a presidential candidate from ₦1 million to ₦50 million.

Section 91 (9) of the old bill reads: “No individual or other entity shall donate more than ₦1, 000,000.00 to any candidate.”

Section 91 (9) of the new bill reads: “No individual or other entity shall donate to a candidate more than ₦50,000,000.00.”