Nigeria's 2027 general election: how the process works
Politics · 2026-10-15
Nigeria's general elections are organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The next cycle is due in 2027 and covers the presidency, National Assembly, governorships and state assemblies.
Winning the presidency
Under the 1999 Constitution, a presidential candidate must win the most votes nationwide and at least 25% of votes in two-thirds of the 36 states and the FCT. If no one meets this, a run-off follows.
How results are declared
Results move from polling units through collation centres to INEC's national collation, where the returning officer declares the winner. INEC also uploads polling-unit results to its IReV portal.
Disputes
Candidates can challenge results at election petition tribunals, with appeals up to the Supreme Court.
Election markets on Avalon
Avalon lists only officially registered parties and candidates and settles from INEC's declared results. We do not publish invented candidates or polls.