The 2023 Nigerian Senate elections were held on 25 February 2023 in all 109 senatorial districts where voters elected senators using first-past-the-post voting.^[1][2] The last regular senatorial elections for all districts were in 2019.

This article needs to be updated. The reason given is: seats each party won in this election. (March 2023)

Quick Facts All 109 seats in the Senate of Nigeria 55 seats needed for a majority, Majority party ...

2023 Nigerian Senate election

← 2019 25 February 2023[lower-alpha 1] 2027 →
← outgoing members
All 109 seats in the Senate of Nigeria 55 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party Third party   PDP Leader Ahmad Lawan Philips Tanimu Aduda Party APC PDP LP Leader's seat Yobe North Federal Capital Territory (lost seat) Last election 63 44 0 Seats before 59 40 1 Seats after 59 37 7 Seat change 0 -3 +6
Legend      APC incumbent retiring or lost renomination      APC incumbent running      APGA incumbent running      LP incumbent running      NNPP incumbent retiring or lost renomination      NNPP incumbent running      PDP incumbent retiring, lost renomination, or status yet to be determined      PDP incumbent running      SDP incumbent running      YPP incumbent retiring      YPP incumbent running      Vacant
Senate President before election Ahmad Lawan APC Elected Senate President Godswill Akpabio APC

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Other federal elections, including the elections to the House of Representatives and the presidential election, were also held on the same date while state elections was held two weeks afterwards on 11 March. The winners of these Senate elections will serve beginning in the 10th Nigerian National Assembly. The APC have held a majority in the Senate since the 2015 elections and solidified that majority in 2019.

As of May 2023, the APC had retained its 59 seats, while the PDP had lost 3 for a total of 37. The Labour Party won seats in its own name for the first time, taking 7 mandates, while smaller parties, such as the NNPP and Social Democratic Party, took a total of 5. One seat has not yet been called.

After the 2015–2019 Senate term led by President of the Senate Bukola Saraki (Peoples Democratic Party) and with a slight All Progressives Congress majority, the 2019 elections were categorized by a large shift back towards the APC and the defeats of multiple high-profile senators—including Saraki. As in the House of Representatives, the APC solidified its majority after nearly losing it due to defections in 2018.

At the opening of the 9th Nigeria National Assembly, Ahmad Lawan (APC-Yobe North) was elected as Senate President and Ovie Omo-Agege (APC-Delta Central) became Deputy Senate President as the party avoided the internal struggles that led Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu to take those offices in 2015. Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP-Abia South) became the Senate Minority Leader.^[3][4] During the first two years of the 2019–2023 term, the APC expanded its majority through the defections of six formerly PDP senators^{[lower-alpha 2]} but in the second half of the term, both parties were hit by several defections^{[lower-alpha 3]} as party primaries for 2023 neared along with three APC resignations.^{[lower-alpha 4]} More defections occurred in the wake of party primaries as senators decamped to new parties (mainly in order to run for re-election),^{[lower-alpha 5]} most notably Abaribe who resigned as Minority Leader and joined APGA to run for re-election after withdrawing from the Abia PDP gubernatorial primary.

From the perspective of the APC, analysts viewed the 9th Senate as a change from the legislature versus executive disputes that were commonplace during the 8th Senate but critics derided the chamber as a rubber stamp that lacked the initiative to advocate for itself against the executive branch.^[5] In terms of specific major bills, the Senate was noted for passing the Sexual Harassment Bill in July 2020, the Finance Bill 2020 in December 2020, the Petroleum Industry Bill in July 2021, a new Electoral Act in January 2022, dozens of constitutional amendments and the Proceeds of Crime Bill in March 2022, and an Electoral Act amendment in May 2022 as well as being commended for rejecting former Buhari aide Lauretta Onochie's nomination to INEC.^{[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]} On the other hand, it was criticized for voting down constitutional amendments for mandating women slots in legislatures and diaspora voting along with the continuous stalling of a key gender equality bill and rampant misappropriation of public funds.^{[14][15][16][17][18]} The senate was also accused of dereliction of oversight duty after several ministerial nominees were either barely questioned or asked to "take a bow" and go without questioning at confirmation hearings.^[19][20][21]

In total, 31 senators—including 17 APC senators, one NNPP senator, 12 PDP senators, and one YPP senator—decided to retire, 22 of whom are seeking another office.

Three seats will be vacant on the day of the election due to resignations, none of which will be filled until the next Senate.

1. Borno North: Abubakar Kyari (APC) resigned on 12 April 2022 to become APC Deputy National Chairman (North).^[41]
2. Nasarawa West: Abdullahi Adamu (APC) resigned on 12 April 2022 to become APC National Chairman.^[41]
3. Zamfara Central: Hassan Nasiha (APC) resigned on 23 February 2022 to become Deputy Governor of Zamfara State.^[42]

• 23–24 February 2019 – The All Progressives Congress wins the 2019 Nigerian Senate election, the Peoples Democratic Party stayed as the main minority party, and the Young Progressives Party entered the Senate as a smaller minority party.
• 11 June 2019 – Most senators officially sworn into office. Ahmad Lawan (APC-Yobe North) and Ovie Omo-Agege (APC-Delta Central) elected as Senate President and Deputy Senate President, respectively.^[51]
• 2 July 2019 – Other principal officers were announced with Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi (APC-Kebbi North) and Orji Uzor Kalu (APC-Abia North) becoming Majority Leader and Majority Whip, respectively. In the minority, Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP-Abia South) became Senate Minority Leader while Philips Tanimu Aduda (PDP-Federal Capital Territory) was named Minority Whip.^[52]
• June 2019 to January 2020 – In the months after the election, litigation and supplemental elections led to the inauguration of several new senators, with some replacing previously sworn-in senators while others filled open seats.
• 21 June 2022 – Philips Tanimu Aduda (PDP-FCT) becomes Minority Leader after Abia South Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe resigned from the position before defecting to APGA. Utazi Chukwuka (PDP-Enugu North) replaces Aduda as Minority Whip.^[53]
• 11 May 2022 – Abdullahi Ibrahim Gobir (APC-Sokoto East) becomes Majority Leader after Kebbi North Senator Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi resigned from the position before defecting to the PDP.^[54]