Opposition Parties Alarm Over Funding Gap Ahead of 2027 Nigerian Election
Nigerian opposition parties warn of a significant funding gap ahead of the 2027 elections, arguing that high campaign spending ceilings favor the ruling APC's access to state resources.
Newsnibs Staff
- 2026-10-12
- Updated 5:08 AM UTC
Opposition parties ahead of Nigeria's 2027 general elections say they cannot compete financially with the ruling All Progressives Congress, pointing to new campaign spending ceilings they argue will widen an already lopsided funding gap. The Nigeria Democratic Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party, the Peoples Redemption Party, the Young Progressives Party and the Obidient Movement have each raised the issue in recent statements, saying economic hardship and fear of reprisal are drying up donations to rivals of the APC while the ruling party draws on what they describe as effectively unlimited resources.
The Electoral Act 2026 doubled or more the amount candidates can legally spend. Presidential candidates can now spend up to N10 billion, up from N5 billion; governorship candidates up to N3 billion, up from N1 billion; senatorial candidates up to N500 million, up from N100 million; and House of Representatives candidates up to N250 million, up from N70 million. The National Assembly has defended the increases as a response to inflation.
NDC National Publicity Secretary Osa Director accused the APC of erasing the line between state funds and party or personal money, saying of the ruling party's financial posture: "Nigeria's money is theirs." PDP spokesman Ini Ememobong said funding shortfalls are not the opposition's biggest obstacle, pointing instead to threats, intimidation and what he called "constriction of political space." PRP Chairman Hakeem Baba-Ahmed went further, accusing the APC of exploiting poverty to buy votes, a practice he termed the "monetisation of elections." YPP's Martins Egbeola said the ruling party's access to state resources gives it an advantage no opposition party can match through ordinary fundraising.
The Obidient Movement's Onyeka Dike alleged that donors to opposition causes are being intimidated into silence, citing the sealing of a Delta State businessman's premises. Punch identified the businessman as Tobore Alex Agbah.
APC National Director of Publicity Bala Ibrahim rejected the accusations, denying that the party uses or diverts public funds and challenging opposition leaders to produce evidence if they have it. He attributed the APC's financial strength to the size of its membership and its public acceptance rather than to state resources.
In response to the funding disparity, opposition leaders say they are shifting toward grassroots mobilization, including town hall meetings, digital campaigns and voluntary contributions, as an alternative to the big-money fundraising the new spending ceilings favor. A separate Legit.ng report had cited a ChatGPT prediction that the APC would likely win the 2027 election, pointing to potential low voter turnout and the Tinubu administration's economic stabilization efforts as factors.
Photo by Salem Ochidi on Unsplash
