The House of Representatives has suggested holding all elections on a single day. Should the proposal be approved, the revised Electoral Act would grant the INEC the authority to hold the elections for president, senate, House of Representatives, governors, and state assemblies all on the same day.
The proposed amendments by the House of Representatives in the National Assembly involve several key changes: political associations aiming to register as parties would be required to pay N50 million, presidential campaign spending would be capped at N10 billion, elections would be held 120 days prior to the current office holder’s term ending, and election petitions would need to be resolved within 90 days following the vote.
The House has also initiated measures to address the frequent by-elections caused by the resignation or death of state and National Assembly members. They propose that the political party which originally endorsed the departing or deceased member should be responsible for nominating their successor.
The 2025 Electoral Bill, known as, “A bill for an Act to repeal the Electoral Act No 13, 2022 and to enact the Electoral Act 2025, to regulate the conduct of Federal, State and Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory elections and for related matters.”
The suggested amendment aims to cap governorship election expenses at N3 billion, which is an increase from the previous limit of N1 billion stated in the 2022 Electoral Act.
Election spending limits are set as follows: for the Senate, the cap is N500 million; for the House of Representatives, it’s N250 million; for the State Assembly and Chairmanship positions, the limit is N30 million; and for Councillorship, it’s N10 million.
In line with the proposed review, it is stated that “no person or organization is permitted to contribute over N500 million to a candidate.”
