Nigerians voted Saturday in the nation’s presidential elections. The following is a timeline of when to expect key announcements.
Voting in Africa’s biggest democracy is taking place at 176,606 polling stations. About 93.5 million people registered to cast their ballots for 1,491 elective posts, including the president, lawmakers, governors and state assembly representatives.
While 87.2 million people who collected their voters’ cards are eligible to cast their ballots, in reality Nigeria may have low voter turnout because of cash shortages spawned by a central bank demonetization program and security fears. In the last two election cycles, only 35% of voters turned out to vote, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The polls are due to close at 2.30 p.m. local time, but INEC has said that it will extend voting hours for those already in line. As soon as voting ends, INEC personnel will immediately begin counting ballots, beginning with the votes for president.
INEC has said that it anticipates announcing the election winner on February 27.
To succeed President Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidates must win the majority vote and more than 25 percent of the vote in at least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 states. In the event that no candidate achieves this requirement, a fresh election will be held within 14 days, pitting the winner against the runner-up.
Read also: Who wins the election?
According to Nigeria’s Electoral Act of 2022, any legal challenge to the outcome must be brought to the Election Tribunal within 21 days of the announcement of the results, and the declared winner would remain in office awaiting the conclusion of the appeal. Within 180 days of the petition’s filing date, the tribunal will render a written decision. This ruling can also be challenged in the Court of Appeals and then the Supreme Court.
If the Supreme Court determines the election of the president-elect to be invalid — which would be a first for Nigeria — a new election shall be held within 21 days of the ruling.
The swearing-in of the president-elect is scheduled to take place on May 29, the anniversary of Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.
