Part I: D – Elections to National Assembly

71. Subject to the provisions of section 72 of this Constitution, the Independent National Electoral Commission shall –

(a) divide each State of the Federation into three Senatorial districts for purposes of elections to the Senate; and

(b) subject to the provisions of section 49 of this Constitution, divide the Federation into three hundred and sixty Federal constituencies for purposes of elections to the House of Representatives.

72. No Senatorial district or Federal constituency shall fall within more than one State, and the boundaries of each district or constituency shall be as contiguous as possible and be such that the number of inhabitants thereof is as nearly equal to the population quota as is reasonably practicable.
73. (1) The Independent National Electoral Commission shall review the division of States and of the Federation into Senatorial districts and Federal constituencies at intervals of not less than ten years, and may alter the districts or constituencies in accordance with the provisions of this section to such extent as it may consider desirable in the light of the review.

(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, the Independent National Electoral Commission may at any time carry out such a review and alter the districts or constituencies in accordance with the provisions of this section to such extent as it considers necessary, in consequence of any amendment to section 8 of this Constitution or any provision replacing that section, or by reason of the holding of a census of the population, or pursuant to an Act of the National Assembly.

74. Where the boundaries of any Senatorial district or Federal constituency established under section 71 of this Constitution are altered in accordance with the provisions section 73 hereof, the alteration shall come into effect after it has been approved by each House of the National Assembly and after the current life of the Senate (in the case of an alteration to the boundaries of a Senatorial district) or the House of s (in the case of an alteration to the boundaries of a Federal constituency).
75. For the purposes of section 72 of this Constitution, the number of inhabitants of Nigeria or any part thereof shall be ascertained by reference to the latest census held in pursuance of an Act of the National Assembly after the coming into force of the provisions of this Part of this Chapter of this Constitution.
76. (1) Elections to each House of the National Assembly shall be held on a date to be appointed by the Independent National Electoral Commission in accordance with the Electoral Act.

(2) The date mentioned in subsection (1) of this section shall not be earlier than one hundred and fifty days and not later than thirty days before, or where the election to fill a vacancy occurring more than ninety days before such date; not later than thirty days after the vacancy occurred.

77. (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 Chapter 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.

(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.

78. The registration of voters and the conduct of elections shall be subject to the direction and supervision of Independent National Electoral Commission.
79. The National Assembly shall make provisions in respects –

(a) persons who may apply to an election tribunal for determination of any question as to whether –

(i) any person has been validly elected as a member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives,

(ii) the term of office of any person has ceased, or

(iii) the seat in the Senate or in the House of Representatives of a member of that House has become vacant;

(b) circumstances and manner in which, and the conditions upon which, such application may be made; and

(c) powers, practice and procedure of the election tribunal in relation to any such application.