At stake in this election:

• 109 seats in the Senate

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Goodluck JONATHAN *
• Head of Government: President Goodluck JONATHAN
• Assembly: Nigeria has a bicameral National Assembly consisting of the Senate with 109 seats and the House of Representatives with 360 seats.
• The president is both the chief of state and head of government.

*The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term). An absolute majority or at least 25% in two-thirds of the states is required for a candidate to be elected in the first round.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by qualified plurality vote to serve a 4-year term. 
• In the Senate 109 members are elected by simple majority vote in multi-member constituencies to serve 4-year terms*. In the House of Representatives 360 members are elected by simple majority vote in single-member constituencies to serve 4-year terms. *

* Three members are elected from each of the 36 states and one from Abuja. There is one single member constituency (Federal Capital Territory).

Main Parties in the electoral race:

• Party: People's Democratic Party (PDP)
  • Leader: Goodluck Ebele JONATHAN
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 71
• Party: United Progressive Party (UPP)
  • Leader: Chief Chekwas OKORIE
  • Seats won in last Senate Election: 0
• Party: Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN)
  • Leader: Engr. Olu OKUNRIABOYE
  • Seats won in last Senate election:0
• Party: United Democratic Party (UDP)
  • Leader: Dr. Umaru DIKKO
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
• Party: All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)
  • Leader:  Chief (Sir) Victor C. Umeh
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 1
• Party: Labour Party (LP)
  • Leader: Barr Dan NWANYANWU
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 4
• Party: National Conscience Party (NCP)
  • Leader: Yunusa TANKO
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
• Party: All Progressives Congress (APC) *
  • Leader: Chief Odigie OYEGUN
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 32
• Party: African Democratic Congress (ADC)
  • Leader: Chief Ralph Okey NWOSU
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
• Party: Kowa Party
  • Leader: Alh. Umar MUSTAPHA
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
• Party: Alliance for Democracy (AD)
  • Leader: AD Senator Mojisoluwa AKINFENWA
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
• Party: Action Alliance (AA)
  • Leader: Tunde Anifowose KELANI
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
• Party: Accord Party
  • Leader: Mohammad Lawal NALADO
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
• Party: Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN)
  • Leader: Lawal M.T. ADAMU
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
• Party: Democratic Peoples Party (DPP)
  • Leader: Maj. Gen. MAGASHI
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
• Party: Peoples Democratic Party (PD)
  • Leader: Ahmed Adamu MUAZU
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0

*This is an opposition alliance consisting of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP). In the 2011 Senate elections, the CAN won 18 seats, the ANPP won 7, and the CPC won 7.

Population and registered voters:

• Population: 182,201,962 (2015)
• Registered Voters: 67,422,005 (2015)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 89,413,012 (2015)

·         Is Nigeria a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (23 April 1984)

·         Has Nigeria ratified CEDAW: Yes (13 June 1985)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 20 (House of Representatives); 7 (Senate) following the 2015 elections

·         Human Development Index Position: 152 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Very High (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Nigeria a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Nigeria ratified CRPD: Yes (24 September 2010)

·         Population with a disability: 27,330,294 (est.)