Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended to 2023
Political Rights and Association
  • English

    (4) The Government of a State shall ensure that every person who is entitled to vote or be voted for at an election to House of Assembly shall have the right to vote or be voted for at an election to a local government council.
    … (Sec. 7)
Political Rights and Association
  • English
    Every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular he may form or belong to any political party, trade union or any other association for the protection of his interests:
    Provided that the provisions of this section shall not derogate from the powers conferred by this Constitution on the Independent National Electoral Commission with respect to political parties to which that Commission does not accord recognition. (Sec. 40)
Political Rights and Association
  • English
    ...
    (2) Every citizen of Nigeria, who has attained the age of eighteen years residing in Nigeria at the time of the registration of voters for purposes of election to a legislative house, shall be entitled to be registered as a voter for that election. (Sec. 77)
Political Parties
  • English
    No association by whatever name called shall function as a party, unless –

    (b) the membership of the association is open to every citizen of Nigeria irrespective of his place of origin, circumstance of birth, sex, religion or ethnic grouping;

    (e) the name of the association, its symbol or logo does not contain any ethnic or religious connotation or give the appearance that the activities of the association are confined to a part only of the geographical area of Nigeria;
    … (Sec. 222)
Political Parties
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    The National Assembly may by law provide –
    (a) guidelines and rules to ensure internal democracy within political parties, including making laws for the conduct of party primaries, party congresses and party conventions; and
    (b) the conferment on the Independent National Electoral Commission of powers as may appear to the National Assembly to be necessary or desirable for the purpose of enabling the Commission more effectively to ensure that political parties observe the practices of internal democracy, including the fair and transparent conduct of party primaries, party congresses and party conventions;
    (c) for an annual grant to the Independent National Electoral Commission for disbursement to political parties on a fair and equitable basis to assist them in the discharge of their functions;
    … (Sec. 228)
Electoral Bodies
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    The registration of voters and the conduct of elections shall be subject to the direction and supervision of Independent National Electoral Commission. (Sec. 78)
Electoral Bodies
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    (1) There shall be established for each State of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, one or more election tribunals to be known as the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Tribunals which shall, to the exclusion of any Court or Tribunal, have original jurisdiction to hear and determine petitions as to whether
    (a) any person has been validly elected as a member of the National Assembly; or
    (b) any person has been validly elected as member of the House of Assembly of a State.
    ... (Sec. 285)

Electoral Bodies
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    The Commission shall have power to –
    (a) organise, undertake and supervise all elections to the offices of the President and Vice-President, the Governor and Deputy Governor of a State, and to the membership of the Senate, the House of Representatives and the House of Assembly of each State of the Federation;
    (b) register political parties in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution and an Act of the National Assembly;
    (c) monitor the organisation and operation of the political parties, including their finances, conventions, congresses and party primaries;
    (d) arrange for the annual examination and auditing of the funds and accounts of political parties, and publish a report on such examination and audit for public information;
    (e) arrange and conduct the registration of persons qualified to vote and prepare, maintain and revise the register of voters for the purpose of any election under this Constitution;
    (f) monitor political campaigns and provide rules and regulations which shall govern the political parties;
    (g) ensure that all Electoral Commissioners, Electoral and Returning Officers take and subscribe the Oath of Office prescribed by law;
    (h) delegate any of its powers to any Resident Electoral Commissioner; and
    (i) carry out such other functions as may be conferred upon it by an Act of the National Assembly. (Third Schedule, Sec. 15)

Head of State
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    (1) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the executive powers of the Federation:
    (a) shall be vested in the President and may, subject as aforesaid and to the provisions of any law made by the National Assembly, be exercised by him either directly or through the Vice-President and Ministers of the Government of the Federation or officers in the public service of the Federation;
    … (Sec. 5)
Head of State
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    (1) There shall be for the Federation a President.
    (2) The President shall be the Head of State, the Chief Executive of the Federation and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation. (Sec. 130)
Head of State
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    A person shall be qualified for election to the office of the President if –
    (a) he is a citizen of Nigeria by birth;
    (b) he has attained the age of thirty-five years;
    (c) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party; and
    (d) he has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent. (Sec. 131)

Vice-President
  • English
    (1) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the executive powers of the Federation:
    (a) shall be vested in the President and may, subject as aforesaid and to the provisions of any law made by the National Assembly, be exercised by him either directly or through the Vice-President and Ministers of the Government of the Federation or officers in the public service of the Federation;
    … (Sec. 5)
Vice-President
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    A person shall be qualified for election to the office of the President if –
    (a) he is a citizen of Nigeria by birth;
    (b) he has attained the age of thirty-five years;
    (c) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party; and
    (d) he has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent. (Sec. 131)

Vice-President
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    There shall be for the Federation a Vice-President. (Sec. 141)
Vice-President
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    (1) In any election to which the foregoing provisions of this Part of this Chapter8 relate, a candidate for an election to the office of President shall not be deemed to be validly nominated unless he nominates another candidate as his associate from the same political party for his running for the office of President, who is to occupy the office of Vice-President and that candidate shall be deemed to have been duly elected to the office of Vice-President if the candidate for an election to the office of President who nominated him as such associate is duly elected as President in accordance with the provisions aforesaid.
    (2) The provisions of this Part of this Chapter relating to qualification for election, tenure of office, disqualification, declaration of assets and liabilities and oaths of President shall apply in relation to the office of Vice-President as if references to President were references to Vice-President. (Sec. 142)

Government
  • English
    (1) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the executive powers of the Federation:
    (a) shall be vested in the President and may, subject as aforesaid and to the provisions of any law made by the National Assembly, be exercised by him either directly or through the Vice-President and Ministers of the Government of the Federation or officers in the public service of the Federation;
    … (Sec. 5)
Government
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    (3) The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few States or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies.
    … (Sec. 14)
Government
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    (1) There shall be such offices of Ministers of the Government of the Federation as may be established by the President.
    (2) Any appointment to the office of Minister of the Government of the Federation shall, if the nomination of any person to such office is confirmed by the Senate, be made by the President.
    Provided that no Ministerial nominee shall be confirmed by the Senate unless evidence of declaration of assets and liabilities of the nominee as prescribed in this Constitution is presented.
    (3) Any appointment under subsection (2) of this section by the President shall be in conformity with the provisions of section 14(3) of this Constitution:
    Provided that in giving effect to the provisions aforesaid the President shall appoint at least one Minister from each State, who shall be an indigene of such State.
    (4) Where a member of the National Assembly or of a House of Assembly is appointed as Minister of the Government of the Federation, he shall be deemed to have resigned his membership of the National Assembly or of the House of Assembly on his taking the oath of office as Minister.
    (5) No person shall be appointed as a Minister of the Government of the Federation unless he is qualified for election as a member of the House of Representatives.
    … (Sec. 147)

Legislature
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    (1) The legislative powers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be vested in a National Assembly for the Federation, which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives.
    (2) The National Assembly shall have power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Federation or any part thereof with respect to any matter included in the Exclusive Legislative List set out in Part I of the Second Schedule to this Constitution.
    … (Sec. 4)
Legislature
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    There shall be a National Assembly for the Federation which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives. (Sec. 47)
Legislature
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    (1) Subject to the provisions of section 66 of this Constitution, a person shall be qualified for election as a member of:
    (a) the Senate, if he is a citizen of Nigeria and has attained the age of 35 years; and
    (b) the House of Representatives, if he is a citizen of Nigeria and has attained the age of 25 years;
    (2) A person shall be qualified for election under subsection (1) of this section if:
    (a) he has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent; and
    (b) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that party. (Sec. 65)

Legislature
  • English

    (1) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, every Senatorial district or Federal constituency established in accordance with the provisions of this Part of this Chapter9 shall return a member who shall be directly elected to the Senate or the House of Representatives in such manner as may be prescribed by an act of the National Assembly.
    … (Sec. 77)

1

Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended to 2023 (English), available in HeinOnline World Constitutions Illustrated Library (2024).

Document last visited 9 January 2024
2
Chapter III on Citizenship.
3
Chapter III on Citizenship.
4
Chapter IV on Fundamental Rights.
5
Chapter IV on Fundamental Rights.
6
Chapter IV on Fundamental Rights.
7
Chapter IV on Fundamental Rights.
8

Part I on Federal Executive, Chapter VI on The Executive.

9

Part I on National Assembly, Chapter V on The Legislature.

10

Chapter VII on the Judicature.

11

Chapter VII on the Judicature.