Nigeria House of Rep Members

The House of Representatives has 360 members. The number is fixed by the Constitution and does not vary between assemblies. Each member represents one federal constituency, and a vacancy caused by a death, resignation or court ruling is filled at a by-election rather than left empty for the rest of the term.

A federal constituency is the area a member of the House of Representatives represents. The 360 constituencies are shared among the states and the Federal Capital Territory roughly in proportion to population, so a populous state such as Kano has far more members than a small one such as Bayelsa, and no constituency may cross a state boundary. Constituencies are usually made up of whole local government areas and are named after them, which is why many have compound names.

Members serve four-year terms with no limit on re-election, running from the inauguration of a new National Assembly until it is dissolved. Each is elected directly in a single round of first-past-the-post voting — the candidate with the most votes in the constituency wins. A candidate must be at least 25 years old, a Nigerian citizen, educated to at least school certificate level and sponsored by a registered political party.

Both sit in the National Assembly, which is bicameral, and both serve four-year terms, but they represent different things. The Senate is the upper chamber and gives every state equal weight: 109 senators, three from each state plus one for the Federal Capital Territory. The House of Representatives is the lower chamber and reflects population: 360 members elected from federal constituencies of roughly equal size. A bill must pass both chambers before it goes to the President, and some powers — confirming ministerial and ambassadorial appointments, for instance — belong to the Senate alone.