NGE Demands 50% Presidential Threshold, Pre-Inauguration Resolution of Election Disputes
Sunday EhigiatorThe Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has called for a constitutional and electoral reforms, including a requirement that presidential candidates should secure at least 50 per cent of votes
Nigeria's current constitution requires a presidential winner to secure the highest number of votes plus at least 25 per cent in two-thirds of the states, rather than an outright majority — a threshold that has allowed candidates to be declared winner without crossing 50 per cent of total votes cast. The NGE's proposal would raise that bar significantly, likely reopening debate on whether Nigeria should adopt a run-off system if no candidate meets the threshold outright.
The call for resolving election disputes before inauguration also speaks to a recurring criticism of Nigeria's electoral calendar: winners are sworn in and begin governing while tribunal and court challenges to their victory are still pending, sometimes for months afterward. The Guild's demands come as part of a broader reform push ahead of the 2027 general elections.