How Nigerian elections work: a simple guide

Nigeria runs one of the most complex electoral systems in the world, spanning federal, state and local contests across a country of more than 200 million people. This guide breaks the process down into plain language — who runs it, who can vote, and how the winners are decided.

Who runs elections in Nigeria?

Elections are organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a body established by the constitution to conduct federal and state elections. INEC registers voters, accredits political parties, prints and distributes ballot papers, recruits polling staff, and announces official results. State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) handle local government elections separately.

NaijaElects is not part of INEC and plays no role in the official vote. We measure public opinion only; INEC alone conducts and certifies elections.

Who can vote?

To vote in a Nigerian election you must:

• Be a Nigerian citizen aged 18 or older;
• Be registered on the National Register of Voters; and
• Hold a valid Permanent Voter Card (PVC) or the accepted digital equivalent for that election cycle.

Registration happens during Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) windows that INEC opens ahead of each cycle. Without being registered, you cannot vote — which is why voter registration drives are such an important part of every campaign season.

What positions are being elected in 2027?

A Nigerian general election fills a large number of offices, usually across two main polling days:

• President and Vice President (a joint ticket)
• National Assembly: 109 Senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives
• State Governors in 28 of the 36 states (the rest are on a different cycle)
• State Houses of Assembly: 360 constituency seats nationwide

How does voting day work?

On election day, registered voters go to the polling unit where they registered. The process generally follows these steps:

1. Accreditation: your identity is verified using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which checks your fingerprint or facial data against the register.
2. Voting: you receive a ballot, mark your choice in secret, and drop it in the ballot box.
3. Counting: after polls close, votes are counted openly at each polling unit in front of party agents and observers.
4. Result upload: results are recorded on a form and, in recent cycles, uploaded to INEC's Result Viewing portal (IReV) for public transparency.

How are winners declared?

For most positions — governor, senator, representative — the winner is simply the candidate with the most votes, provided they also meet any spread requirement set out in law. The presidential contest is stricter: the winner must gain the most votes and at least 25% of votes in two-thirds of the 36 states plus the Federal Capital Territory. This ensures a president has support across the country, not just in one region.

Understanding the mechanics of an election is the first step to participating in one with confidence.

Where public opinion fits in

Official results only exist after election day. In the long run-up, opinion tracking helps everyone — voters, journalists and researchers — understand how the national mood is shifting. That's what NaijaElects is for: a live, anonymous snapshot of where Nigerians stand, updated as more people take part.