2027 Nigerian general election

On 2 July 2025, the African Democratic Congress surrendered its leadership to a coalition including former vice president Atiku Abubakar, former senate president David Mark, former Internal Affairs Minister, Rauf Aregbesola and former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi to oppose President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress in the 2027 election. ==Electoral system==

The President of Nigeria is elected using a modified two-round system with up to three rounds. To be elected in the first round, a candidate must receive a plurality of the votes and over 25% of the vote in at least 24 of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. If no candidate passes this threshold, a second round will be held between the top candidate and the next candidate to have received a majority of votes in the highest number of states. In the second round, a candidate still must receive the most votes and over 25% of the vote in at least 24 of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to be elected. If neither candidate passes this threshold, a third round will be held where just majority of the votes is required to be elected. 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. The 360 members of the House of Representatives are also elected by first-past-the-post voting in single-member constituencies. Eligibility (Presidency) The Nigerian Constitution limits occupancy of the presidency to individuals who are at least thirty-five, the person must be a citizen of Nigeria by birth, must be a member of a political party and sponsored by that party and must have been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent. A person who meets the above qualifications is still disqualified from holding the office of the president if: they have voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a country other than Nigeria (except in such cases as may be prescribed by the National Assembly) or they have made a declaration of allegiance to such other country; they have been elected to such office at any two previous elections; under the law in any part of Nigeria, they are adjudged to be a lunatic or otherwise declared to be of unsound mind; they are under a sentence of death imposed by any competent court of law or tribunal in Nigeria or a sentence of imprisonment or fine for any offence involving dishonesty or fraud or for any other offence, imposed on them by any court or tribunal or substituted by a competent authority for any other sentence imposed on them by such a court or tribunal; within a period of less than ten years before the date of the election to the office of President they have been convicted and sentenced for an offence involving dishonesty or they have been found guilty of the contravention of the Code of Conduct; they are an undischarged bankrupt, having been adjudged or otherwise declared bankrupt under any law in force in Nigeria or any other country; being a person employed in the civil or public service of the Federation or of any State, they have not resigned, withdrawn or retired from the employment at least thirty days before the date of the election; or they are a member of any secret society; they have been indicted for embezzlement or fraud by a Judicial Commission of Inquiry or an Administrative Panel of Inquiry or a Tribunal set up under the Tribunals of Inquiry Act, a Tribunals of Inquiry law or any other law by the federal or state government which indictment has been accepted by the federal or state government, respectively; they have presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission. There is no maximum age for candidates; although, in March 2025, the house of representatives approved a bill proposing 60 years as the maximum age limit for presidential and gubernatorial candidates for second reading. Former President, Goodluck Jonathan is eligible to run in 2027 under any political party of choice, since he was an elected president for just one term. Former presidents Muhammadu Buhari, and Olusegun Obasanjo are ineligible to be elected to a third term, as section 135 of the 1999 constitution of Nigeria forbids any person from being elected president more than twice. Eligibility (National Assembly) The Nigerian Constitution limits occupancy of the senate and house of representatives to individuals who are at least thirty-five years and twenty-five years respectively, the person must be a citizen of Nigeria by birth, must be a member of a political party and sponsored by that party and must have been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent. == Presidential candidates ==

(Speculated by the media) {{Gallery Rotimi Amaechi Rotimi Amaechi served as the governor of Rivers State from 2007 to 2015 and then the Minister of Transportation from 2015 to 2023. He previously ran for the All Progressives Congress presidential nomination in 2023, but lost to President Bola Tinubu. He has been considered a possible candidate by the Guardian, and News Central TV. Rabiu Kwankwaso Rabiu Kwankwaso previously served as governor of Kano state from 1999 to 2003 and from 2011 to 2015. After he lost his re-election in 2003, he was appointed the first Minister of Defence of the Fourth Republic, from 2003 to 2007, under the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo. He was later elected to the Senate in 2015, serving one term under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) representing Kano Central Senatorial District. He contested for the presidency in 2023 under the New Nigeria People's Party and scored 6.4% of the popular votes. A 2025 meeting with Rauf Aregbesola sparked an alliance talk as reported by Business Day, and ThisDayLive. Peter Obi Peter Obi is a Nigerian politician and businessman who was the Governor of Anambra State under President Olusegun Obasanjo from 17 March 2006 to 3 November 2006, when he was impeached. He was reinstated on 9 February 2007 and continued his tenure until 2010. He was reelected for his second term until 7 March 2014. A member of the Labour Party since 2022, he was the presidential candidate in the 2023 Nigerian presidential election. He was reported to have said that he may not contest again for presidency after the 2027 elections by The Punch. He was stated to have said he was in a coalition movement for the election, as reported by Vanguard. Bola Tinubu Bola Tinubu is a Nigerian politician who is serving as the 16th and current president of Nigeria since 2023. He previously served as the governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, and senator for Lagos West in the Third Republic. He was accused by the Arewa Consultative Forum for prioritising the 2027 elections over national issues. This was reported by Channels TV. Tribune Online reported support for President Tinubu by a women's group. His candidacy was also mentioned by Vanguard, The Punch, The Nation, and others. Omoyele Sowore Omoyele Sowore is a Nigerian politician, human rights activist, citizen reporter, writer, lecturer and pro-democracy campaigner, known for founding the online news agency Sahara Reporters. In August 2018, he founded the African Action Congress party and ran as its presidential candidate in the 2019 Nigerian general election. Sowore also ran for President in the 2023 Nigerian General elections. On 25 February 2018, Sowore announced his intention to run for presidency in the 2019 Nigerian general election. In August 2018, he founded a political party, the African Action Congress (AAC), for which he would run for in 2019. On 6 October 2018, following successful primary elections at the AAC's national convention, Omoyele Sowore emerged unchallenged as the Presidential Candidate for the party.[39] After touring many states in Nigeria, visiting dignitaries such as the Emir of Kano and Wole Soyinka, Sowore embarked on a fundraising tour around the world including Australia, the United States of America and the UK. He was in Luton, England, on 10 November 2018. Sowore also contested the 2023 general election as the presidential candidate of his party (AAC) where he recorded 14,608 votes, an election he described as a "selection". Religious Dimension One of the key factors influencing the outcome of the 2027 presidential election is religion, particularly the religious affiliations of presidential candidates and their running mates. In 2023, former Lagos Governor Bola Tinubu, then the flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), ran on a joint ticket with ex-Borno Governor Kashim Shettima. Both men were practising Muslims and they won the election despite the concerns raised by the Christian community in Nigeria. Before then, since 1999 when Nigeria returned to democratic governance, the nation had an unwritten code of Muslim-Christian or Christian-Muslim tickets before presidents and vice presidents. However, with the claim of Christian genocide raised by US President Donald Trump, Tinubu, who is seeking re-election as president might be looking at shopping for a Christian as running mate in the 2027 election. ==Notes==