A political scientist has warned that Nigeria’s democracy risks being tilted further in favour of the wealthy following the House of Representatives’ decision to sharply increase campaign spending limits for candidates seeking elective offices.

Professor Murtala Muhammad of Northwest University, Kano, said the new thresholds could turn elections into contests of financial power rather than ideas, competence and public trust.

According to him, while the inclusion of real-time electronic transmission of results is a positive reform, it is overshadowed by what he described as “a dangerous recalibration” of campaign financing rules that could deepen inequality and weaken democratic accountability.

The concerns come after the House passed the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2025, following clause-by-clause consideration of a report by the House Committee on Electoral Matters, chaired by Adebayo Balogun.

Under the amended law, the maximum amount a presidential candidate can spend was increased from N5 billion to N10 billion, while the limit for governorship candidates rose from N1 billion to N3 billion.

Campaign spending ceilings were also raised across other levels. Senatorial candidates can now spend up to N500 million, up from N100 million, while candidates for the House of Representatives are allowed N250 million, compared to the previous N70 million. For state constituencies, the cap was raised from N30 million to N100 million; chairmanship candidates can now spend N60 million instead of N30 million, while councillorship candidates’ limits doubled from N5 million to N10 million.

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The House also approved a provision limiting individual or corporate donations to a maximum of N500 million per candidate. In addition, it passed an amendment mandating the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit election results electronically in real time.

However, Professor Muhammad cautioned that higher spending limits could make wealth the main gateway to political power in a country marked by deep economic inequality.

“These new limits shut the door on ordinary citizens, grassroots leaders, women and young people who do not have access to huge financial resources,” he said.

“Politics then becomes the space of the rich and their sponsors, not a platform for broad representation.”

He warned that the changes could accelerate what he described as Nigeria’s drift from popular democracy to “plutocracy,” where money dictates who gets elected and who holds influence.

“When winning elections depends largely on money, accountability shifts from voters to financiers,” he explained. “Elected officials begin to answer more to donors than to the people, and that weakens public trust in government.”

Professor Muhammad also expressed concern that higher spending caps would encourage what he called the “investment logic” of politics, where candidates see public office as a means to recover campaign expenses.

“This mindset fuels corruption,” he said, noting that it could lead to inflated contracts, patronage, rent-seeking and misuse of public funds. “Public service becomes secondary to profit.”

While acknowledging the donation cap of N500 million per candidate, Professor Muhammad argued that the overall scale of permitted spending still gives wealthy individuals and organised interests outsized influence over policy decisions, appointments and governance outcomes.

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He further warned that excessive money in politics could undermine election integrity by promoting vote buying and transactional politics, especially in areas where enforcement of campaign finance rules is weak.

“Instead of issue-based campaigns, voters are reduced to targets of financial inducement,” he said. 

“This erodes participation, trust and the credibility of election outcomes.”
According to him, the new regime also favours incumbents and established parties with access to state resources and donor networks, making it harder for reform-minded candidates and emerging parties to compete.

Without strong transparency mechanisms, enforcement and sanctions, he warned, the amendments could weaken INEC, damage institutional credibility and ultimately undermine Nigeria’s democratic project.