At stake in this election:

• 109 seats in the Senate

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Umaru Musa YAR'ADUA *
• Head of Government: President Umaru Musa YAR'ADUA
• 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 absolute majority 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.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: People's Democratic Party (PDP)
  • Leader: Ahmadu ALI
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 76
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 223
• Party: All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP)
  • Leader: Alh Modu SHERIF
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 27
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 96
• Party: All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)
  • Leader: Victor C. UMEH
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 2
• Party: Alliance For Democracy (AD)
  • Leader: Mojisoluwa AKINFEWA
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 6
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 34
• Party: Action Congress (AC)*****
  • Leader: Bisi AKANDE
  • Seats won in last Senate election: N/A
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: N/A
• Party: Democratic Peoples Party (DPP)
  • Leader: Umaru AHMED
  • Seats won in last Senate election: N/A
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: N/A
• Party: Fresh Democratic Party (FRESH)
  • Leader: Chris OKOTIE
  • Seats won in last Senate election: N/A
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: N/A

***** (party formed after the last election)

Last Parliamentary election:

• The last elections to the Senate and the House of Representatives were held on 12 April 2003.

Population and registered voters:

• Population: 147,152,502 (2007)
• Registered Voters: 61,567,036 (2007)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 72,431,259 (2007)

·         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: 25 (House of Representatives); 9 (Senate) following the 2007 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: 22,072,875 (est.)