Nigeria · 2027 general elections
Know the facts before you vote
Dates, candidates, how to get ready, and a sourced look at the last three years. No endorsements, just facts you can check.
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until voting opens on Saturday, 16 January 2027 at 8:30 AM
This is moving fast. Court cases are still affecting the timetable and at least one party’s candidate list. We last checked on 10 November 2026. Confirm anything important with INEC.
Key dates
When you vote
These dates come from INEC’s official election calendar.
- Presidential and National Assembly elections
- Saturday, 16 January 2027
- Nationwide, in all 36 states and the FCT. You vote for the President and Vice-President, a Senator and a House of Representatives member.
- Governorship and State House of Assembly elections
- Saturday, 6 February 2027
- Only in participating states and state constituencies.
- Accreditation and voting hours
- 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM
- Accreditation and voting happen at the same time. Your PVC is verified with the BVAS machine.
Several court cases challenging parts of INEC’s timetable were pending when we last checked, so confirm dates on INEC’s election calendar.
Get ready
Four things to do before election day
- 1
Check you’re registered
Use INEC’s voter portal to confirm your registration and see the status of your card.
Open the voter portal - 2
Collect your PVC
INEC began handing out new cards at its local government offices from 9 October 2026. No card means no vote, so don’t wait until the last week.
Find your collection point - 3
Find your polling unit
You vote at the unit where you registered. Look it up now so you’re not searching for it on the day.
Find your polling unit - 4
On the day
Bring your PVC. It is checked with the BVAS machine, and accreditation and voting run together from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM.
Read INEC’s voter education
The voter register
INEC said the register stands at over 103 million voters (late September 2026). New registrations by phase, in millions:
- Phase 1 (Aug to Dec 2025)2.61 million
- Phase 2 (Jan to Apr 2026)4.12 million
- Phase 3 (May to Jul 2026)3.87 million
Read with care: INEC also reported removing about 1.6 million flagged entries from the register on 9 and 10 November 2026, and said 54 officials in 10 states may face prosecution over registration infractions. Totals will change as that work continues.
Sources: Premium Times (INEC announcement), Tribune (register clean-up)
Candidates and parties
The 18 presidential tickets
Listed alphabetically by party. Every ticket gets the same details, and the order says nothing about who is ahead.
- AAOn INEC’s list
Rufai Adekunle Omo-Aje
Action Alliance
Running mate
Shehu Hussaini
- AACOn INEC’s list
Omoyele Sowore
African Action Congress
Running mate
Haruna Garba Magashi
- ADCUnder court challenge
Atiku Abubakar
African Democratic Congress
Running mate
Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi
On 5 Nov 2026 a Federal High Court judgment voided the party’s leadership and the primary that nominated this ticket. The party says it will appeal. As of 9 Nov, INEC said it had not yet received the certified judgment and had taken no decision.
- ADPOn INEC’s list
Aliyu Abbas-Bin
Action Democratic Party
Running mate
Chinazam Ike
- APCOn INEC’s list
Bola Ahmed Tinubu
All Progressives Congress
Running mate
Kashim Shettima
- APMOn INEC’s list
Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde
Allied Peoples Movement
Running mate
Musa Lawal Daura
- APPOn INEC’s list
Kabiru Yusuf
Action Peoples Party
Running mate
Peace Egobia Ofordile
- BPOn INEC’s list
Sunday Adenuga
Boot Party
Running mate
Usman Turaki Mustapha
- DLAOn INEC’s list
Moses Olusoji Adebisi
Democratic Leadership Alliance
Running mate
Nafisat Usaku Abubakar
- LPOn INEC’s list
Sunday Chibuzo Okereke
Labour Party
Running mate
Hajja Bintu Konto
- NDCOn INEC’s list
Peter Gregory Obi
Nigeria Democratic Congress
Running mate
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso
- NDPOn INEC’s list
Ada Elizabeth Fredrick Okwori
National Democratic Party
Running mate
Uchenna Anthony Chukwuemeka
- NRMOn INEC’s list
Nkem Esther Okereke
National Rescue Movement
Running mate
Nasir Muhammed Sulaiman
- PDPOn INEC’s list
Sandy Ojang Onor
Peoples Democratic Party
Running mate
Umaru Babangida
- PRPOn INEC’s list
Donald Duke
Peoples Redemption Party
Running mate
Kabiru Rabiu
- SDPOn INEC’s list
Adewole Ebenezer Adebayo
Social Democratic Party
Running mate
Usman Muhammed Bugaje
- YPPOn INEC’s list
Peter Ada Agada
Young Progressive Party
Running mate
Patience Ndidi Key
- ZLPOn INEC’s list
Daniel Daberechukwu Nwanyanwu
Zenith Labour Party
Running mate
Hassan Khalid
Names and spellings follow INEC’s final list of candidates, published on 12 September 2026, as reported by news outlets. Outlets sometimes spell names differently, so check the official list on INEC’s Candidates and Parties page. A ticket can change if a court or INEC rules on a dispute.
How it works
What you’re voting for, and how a winner is decided
Who wins the presidency
To win in the first round, a candidate needs the most votes and at least one-quarter of the votes in each of at least two-thirds of the 36 states and the FCT (Section 134 of the 1999 Constitution). If nobody does, there is a run-off.
Two election days
On 16 January you vote for the President, a Senator and a House of Representatives member. Governors and state assembly members are voted for on 6 February, in participating states.
Where results come from
Results are recorded at polling units, then collated, and INEC is the official source. Check them on INEC’s results portal, not on a forwarded screenshot.
If someone disputes a result
Disputes are settled by election tribunals and courts, not on social media. Presidential petitions end at the Supreme Court.
Three years in numbers
The record since 29 May 2023
The numbers first, then what each side says about them. The President is also a candidate, and so are some of his critics, so treat both sets of claims as political statements and check them against the data.
Headline inflation (year on year)
Percent, data as of September 2026
- Sep 202520.98%
- Aug 202615.39%
- Sep 202614.63%
Prices are still rising, but more slowly than a year ago. Food inflation was 19.59% in September 2026, and core inflation was 12.95%.
Read with care: NBS rebased its price index in January 2025, so 2023 and 2024 figures can’t be compared directly with today’s. The World Bank says inflation has stalled around 15.5% in 2026, which it describes as more than double the rate in peer countries.
Sources: NBS figures via Vanguard, World Bank view via Nairametrics
Economic growth (real GDP, year on year)
Percent, data as of Q2 2026
- Q2 20254.23%
- Q1 20263.89%
- Q2 20264.43%
The economy has grown by roughly 4% a year recently. The World Bank forecasts 4.3% for 2026 and the IMF 4.2%.
Read with care: Growth in the whole economy doesn’t tell you how much better off an average household is. Read it alongside prices and poverty.
Sources: NBS figures via Nigeria Housing Market, Forecasts via Nairametrics
How many Nigerians live in poverty?
Estimates in circulation differ a lot.
- More than 60% of Nigerians
Estimate cited in a Punch editorial - About 63% of Nigerians
Figure cited in an energy-sector review - More than three-quarters in multidimensional poverty
Commentary in Prompt News
Read with care: These come from commentary, and the measures may differ, for example income-based and multidimensional poverty. We’re replacing them with primary figures from NBS and the World Bank.
Security: the most contested part
The government says security agencies have stepped up operations and that more communities and highways are safer. Opposition parties and civil society groups say killings and kidnappings have continued.
Counts of deaths and abductions differ between sources, so we’re working from the original ACLED data before we publish a figure here.
What each side says
Government and supporters
- Removing the petrol subsidy and unifying exchange-rate windows were necessary corrections to the economy. Daily Times
- The President’s 1 October 2026 address said the economy grew by more than 4% in 2026, inflation fell from its peak, reserves were rebuilt and the foreign-exchange market stabilised. Nigeria Housing Market
- The government says ₦282 billion has been paid through NELFUND to more than 1.5 million students. Punch via The Citizen
- The President says many communities and highways are becoming safer and more economically active. Punch via The Citizen
Opposition and critics
- Atiku Abubakar, a presidential candidate, says the record is one of hardship, insecurity and poverty. Leadership
- The ADC says citizens have lost confidence in the government because of hardship, unemployment and insecurity. New National Star
- Afenifere, a Yoruba socio-political group, criticised the economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment and the state of democratic institutions. New National Star
- Some commentators say the macroeconomic gains have not yet reached ordinary households. Prompt News
Still to come, each with sources: unemployment, the exchange rate, electricity, public debt, and a primary-source security figure.
Spot fake news
Before you share an election post
Official results come from INEC
Compare any result sheet you see online with what INEC has published. A screenshot with no source is not a result.
Check who said it and when
Look for the original statement, a date and a named source. Old photos and videos often come back as “new”.
Search for a second source
If a shocking claim is only on one page or one WhatsApp group, wait. Real news is usually reported by several credible outlets.
Be careful with round numbers and rankings
Graphics with no source or method, or with exaggerated figures, are a common sign of propaganda.
Sources
Where this information comes from
We link to the source next to each figure. Where we’ve used a news report, we’re replacing it with the primary source.