Nigeria Senators & their Senatorial Districts

Nigeria has 109 senators. Each of the 36 states is divided into three senatorial districts and returns three senators, giving 108, and the Federal Capital Territory returns one more. The number is set by the Constitution, so it does not change when by-elections are held — a vacancy caused by a death, resignation or court ruling is filled at a by-election rather than left empty.

A senatorial district is the constituency a senator represents. Every state is split into exactly three of them, usually along geographical lines and named accordingly — Rivers South-East and Kano Central, for example. The Federal Capital Territory forms a single senatorial district. Districts are drawn by the Independent National Electoral Commission and are meant to be roughly equal in population within each state.

A senator serves a four-year term, running from the inauguration of a new National Assembly until it is dissolved. There is no limit on how many terms a senator may serve, which is why some members have sat for several consecutive assemblies. The current Assembly is the 10th National Assembly, inaugurated in June 2023.

Senators are elected directly by voters in a single round of first-past-the-post voting: the candidate with the most votes in the senatorial district wins, with no run-off. Elections are conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission alongside the presidential and House of Representatives polls. A candidate must be at least 35 years old, a Nigerian citizen, educated to at least school certificate level and sponsored by a registered political party.