Nigeria
West Africa · ng
Federal presidential republic. The president must win the largest vote total plus the constitutionally required territorial spread; the bicameral National Assembly has a 109-seat Senate and 360-seat House of Representatives elected by constituency.
Profile last reviewed July 23, 2026
Nigeria holds presidential and National Assembly elections together, followed by most governorship and state-assembly elections. Voters register biometrically and present a Permanent Voter Card; BVAS devices authenticate voters while paper ballots remain the vote record. INEC administers elections, publishes polling-unit result images and oversees collation under the Electoral Act 2026.
How voting works today
- Voting age
- 18 and over
- Voter registration
- Voter-initiated
- Identification
- Photo ID required
- Compulsory voting
- No
- Postal voting
- Not available
- Early voting
- Not available
- Online voting
- Not available
- Voting from abroad
- Not available
Citizens must complete continuous voter registration and collect a Permanent Voter Card. On election day, INEC uses the card and BVAS biometric accreditation. Nigerian law does not currently provide an overseas, postal or online ballot for general elections.
How the franchise changed
Every entry records a change in who could vote, or how — expansions, restrictions and procedural reforms alike.
- 1960Expansion
Independence established federal national elections, though franchise rules inherited regional differences.
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria - 1979Expansion
The Second Republic election used universal adult suffrage across all states, including women in northern Nigeria.
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria - 1999Reform
The current constitutional order restored elected civilian government and established INEC as the federal election-management body.
About INEC - 2026Reform
A new Electoral Act replaced the 2022 law and became the governing statute for federal, state and Federal Capital Territory elections.
Electoral Act 2026
Safeguards on the count
- Ballot type
- Paper ballots
- Post-election audit
- Judicial challenge only
- Election administration
- Independent commission
- Domestic observers
- Yes
- International observers
- Yes
Accredited voters mark paper ballots after BVAS authentication. Results are counted and recorded at polling units, with result-form images intended for public viewing through IReV. Formal challenges proceed through election tribunals and courts; domestic and international observer groups may be accredited.
Worth knowing
- INEC scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for 20 February 2027 and most governorship and state-assembly elections for 6 March.2027 general-election timetable
- The EU's 2023 mission reported that delayed or failed publication of presidential result forms damaged public confidence, while BVAS performance improved in the subsequent state elections.European Union Election Observation Mission Nigeria 2023 final report
- Yiaga Africa's representative parallel tabulation placed every candidate's national share inside its expected range, while separately identifying altered collation in Rivers and Imo that it assessed as insufficient to change the national outcome.Dashed Hopes? Yiaga Africa report on the 2023 general election
Elections in the database
- 2027Nigeria 2027 General ElectionElection Watch
- 2023Nigeria 2023 Presidential Election
People
- CandidateAtiku Abubakar
- Head of stateBola TinubuPresident of Nigeria
- Election officialJoash Ojo AmupitanChairman of Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission
- CandidatePeter Obi
Sources
- Electoral Act 2026— National Assembly of Nigeria
- 2027 general-election timetable— Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigeria
- European Union Election Observation Mission Nigeria 2023 final report— European External Action Service
- Dashed Hopes? Yiaga Africa report on the 2023 general election— Yiaga Africa