Electoral Act Amendments: Reps raise campaign spending limits, make BVAS, electronic transmission compulsory

The House of Representatives has approved a significant increase in campaign spending limits for candidates contesting elective offices. The lawmakers also made other amendments to the Electoral Act 2022 aimed at strengthening the credibility, transparency and integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.

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The resolutions were adopted on Thursday during a clause-by-clause consideration of the report of the House Committee on Electoral Matters.

The session was presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, at plenary.

Under the approved amendments, the ceiling on campaign expenditure for presidential candidates was raised from ₦5 billion to ₦10 billion.

Governorship candidates will now be allowed to spend up to ₦3 billion, compared to the previous ₦1 billion limit.

For senatorial contests, the spending cap was increased from ₦100 million to ₦500 million, while candidates for the House of Representatives can now spend up to ₦250 million, up from ₦70 million.

The House also raised the campaign spending limits for state House of Assembly candidates from ₦30 million to ₦100 million.

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For local government chairmanship elections, the ceiling was similarly increased from ₦30 million to ₦100 million, while councillorship candidates will now be permitted to spend up to ₦10 million, compared to the earlier ₦5 million limit.

In addition, lawmakers approved a provision that restricts individual or corporate donations to candidates to a maximum of ₦500 million, in a bid to curb undue influence and excessive monetisation of the electoral process.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported that the House commenced deliberations on the proposed electoral reforms on Wednesday, reviewing several provisions of the existing law and proposing amendments intended to address gaps exposed during recent elections.

Beyond campaign finance, the House endorsed major reforms to the Electoral Act 2022, including provisions that formally recognise the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) as the primary tool for accrediting voters and mandate the real-time electronic transmission of election results.

BVAS

At Thursday’s sitting, lawmakers approved a clause requiring presiding officers at polling units to use BVAS or any other technological device prescribed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to verify and authenticate voters’ details. The provision further states that where the accreditation technology fails and a replacement device is not deployed, voting at the affected polling unit must be cancelled.

Under the amendment, INEC will be required to conduct a fresh election within 24 hours in such circumstances, provided the commission determines that the failure would substantially affect the final outcome of the election in the constituency concerned.

The House also approved a provision making electronic transmission of election results compulsory. The amendment mandates presiding officers to electronically transmit results from each polling unit to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV) immediately after the conclusion of voting and counting.

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The clause specifically provides that the presiding officer “shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to the IReV portal in real time, and such transmission shall be done after the prescribed Form EC8A has been signed and stamped by the presiding officer and, where available, countersigned by candidates or polling unit agents.”

To further strengthen transparency, lawmakers amended Section 60(3) of the Act to compel INEC to transmit polling unit results to the IReV portal in real time alongside the physical collation of results. The amendment introduces stiffer penalties for electoral officers who deliberately violate procedures relating to the counting, announcement or transmission of results.

Under the revised provision, any presiding officer found guilty of such offences faces a minimum fine of ₦500,000, a jail term of at least six months, or both.

The House also adopted several other reforms designed to address long-standing weaknesses in Nigeria’s electoral system. One of the amendments requires that funds for the conduct of general elections be released to INEC at least one year before polling day, a move lawmakers said would significantly improve planning and logistics.

Penalties for multiple voter registration were also increased, with offenders now liable to a minimum fine of ₦100,000 or a one-year jail term, or both. In addition, the House approved an extension of the deadline for political parties to submit the names of their candidates to INEC, shifting it from 180 days to 210 days before an election.

Another notable amendment allows the use of electronically generated voter identification for accreditation and voting. This includes downloadable voter cards embedded with unique QR codes, which lawmakers said would modernise the accreditation process and reduce dependence on physical voter cards.

Following extensive deliberations, the House adopted the amendments as a working tool to guide future elections, describing the reforms as part of a broader effort to curb electoral malpractice, strengthen the legal framework and restore public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.