2023 Nigerian elections
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The 2023 Nigerian elections will be held, in large part, on 25 February and 11 March 2023. During this presidential election year, the President and Vice President will be elected on 25 February with incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari being term-limited.[1] Additionally, there will also be elections on the same day for the Senate and the House of Representatives. On 11 March, twenty-eight gubernatorial elections will be held alongside elections to state houses of assembly in all 36 states.[1] Two additional gubernatorial elections will be held later in the year alongside potential rerun elections for regularly scheduled elections annulled from earlier in the year.
Electoral system[]
The President of Nigeria is elected using a modified two-round system. To be elected in the first round, a candidate must receive a majority of the vote and over 25% of the vote in at least 24 of the 36 states. If no candidate passes this threshold, a second round will be held.[2]
The 109 members of the Senate are elected from 109 single-seat constituencies (three in each state and one for the Federal Capital Territory) by first-past-the-post voting.[3] The 360 members of the House of Representatives are also elected by first-past-the-post voting in single-member constituencies.[4]
Similarly to the president, Governors are elected using a modified two-round system. To be elected in the first round, a candidate must receive the plurality of the vote and over 25% of the vote in at least two-thirds of state local government areas. If no candidate passes this threshold, a second round will be held between the top candidate and the next candidate to have received a plurality of votes in the highest number of local government areas.
The 991 members of the state Houses of Assembly are elected using first-past-the-post voting in single-member constituencies.
Federal elections[]
Presidential election[]
All Progressives Congress primary[]
With President Muhammadu Buhari having been elected to the office of president twice, he is ineligible for reelection. In July 2021, national APC Caretaker Chairman and Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni backed the consensus method of nominating a presidential candidate instead of the more common direct or indirect primary methods.[5] There is no announced formal zoning agreement for the APC nomination, however, there have been calls from certain politicians and interest groups such as the Southern Governors' Forum to zone the nomination to the South as Buhari, a Northerner, was elected twice.[6]
People's Democratic Party primary[]
In October 2021, newly-elected PDP Chairman Iyorchia Ayu backed the indirect primary method of nominating a presidential candidate instead of the direct or consensus methods.[7] There is no announced formal zoning agreement for the PDP nomination, however, there have been calls from certain politicians and interest groups such as the Southern Governors' Forum to zone the nomination to the South as the APC's Buhari, a Northerner, was elected twice.[8]
National Assembly elections[]
Senate elections[]
All 109 seats in the Senate of Nigeria will be up for election alongside the presidential and House of Representatives elections on 25 February 2023.
House of Representatives elections[]
All 360 seats in the House of Representatives of Nigeria will be up for election alongside the presidential and Senate elections on 25 February 2023.
State elections[]
Gubernatorial elections[]
Elections will be held for the governorships of thirty of the 36 states of Nigeria. All but two will be held on 11 March while the Kogi State and Bayelsa State elections will both be held later in 2023.
House of Assembly elections[]
Elections will be held for the House of Assembly of all 36 states of Nigeria on 11 March.
References[]
- ^ a b Jimoh, Abbas (26 February 2022). "INEC Sets New Dates For 2023 General Elections". Daily Trust. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
- ^ "IFES Election Guide | Elections: Nigeria President 2019". IFES Election Guide. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
- ^ "National Assembly | Federal Republic of Nigeria". National Assembly. 2018-02-16. Archived from the original on 2018-02-16. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
- ^ "IPU PARLINE database: NIGERIA (House of Representatives), Electoral system". Inter-Parliamentary Union. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
- ^ Amodu, Taiwo. "APC Congresses: Buni Insists On Consensus Option, Warns Against Media War". Nigerian Tribune. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
- ^ "2023: APC In Fresh Dilemma Over Zoning, Convention". Daily Trust. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
- ^ Ojiego, Nnamdi. "Internal democracy will stop defections — Iyorchia Ayu, new PDP Chair". Vanguard. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
- ^ Fabiyi, Olusola; Alechenu, John; Aworinde, Tobi; Odogun, Gbenga. "2023: PDP may counter Southern govs on zoning, throw presidential ticket open". The Punch. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
- 2023 elections in Nigeria
- 2023 elections in Africa
- 2023 Nigerian general election