Follow our live updates of Nigeria's 2023 elections

Welcome to Pulse Nigeria's coverage of the 2023 presidential election. Millions of Nigerians will decide today who will replace President Muhammadu Buhari who will leave office on May 29, 2023. Let's also not forget the National Assembly elections will happen at the same time as the presidential election. Hundreds of candidates are battling for the 109 seats in the Senate and 360 seats in the House of Representatives.

Let's keep a few things in mind before we go into the excitement of the day. There are 18 presidential candidates on the ballot, and you can read about all of them here, but the three frontrunners with strong chances of victory are Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP). Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People's Party (NNPP) is also expected to have some say in today's contest.

The closeness of the race between the top three candidates has fueled speculations of a possible runoff election. That only happens when no candidate scores the highest number of votes while also winning 25% of votes in at least 24 states. You can read more about what would happen if a runoff election becomes necessary.

There are 93.5 million Nigerians on the national voters' register but 6.3 million of them have not collected their Permanent Voter's Card (PVC) in time to vote today. This leaves the number of voters eligible to vote at 87.2 million, the highest ever for any Nigerian election.

Nigeria's voters' turnout rate has been sliding down since 2003, but there are high hopes of an impressive turnout today.

Voting will commence at 8:30 am in polling units all over Nigeria, and end at 2:30 pm, but whoever is already accredited and on the line to vote by the time of the deadline will still be allowed to vote.

Voters are starting to arrive at their polling units all over Nigeria.

INEC staff have started setting up the voting materials in Smaila Street, Mende, Maryland as early voters are preparing to exercise their right to vote.

Soldiers have set up road blocks in different parts of Lagos state in an enforcement of the Operation Safe Conduct which is aimed at ensuring orderliness during the 2023 elections.

Former vice-president and presidential candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar, has gone through the accreditation process before casting his vote in his polling unit in Ajiya 02, Gwadabawa Ward, Yola North Local Government of Adamawa State.

Governor Ademola Adeleke has cast his vote for the presidential and National Assembly elections today in Ede, Osun State.

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has arrived at his polling unit in PU 019, Umudimakasi Square, Agulu, Anambra State. He's confident of victory and isn't interested in a cabinet position should any of his opponents win.

After some delay, INEC officials have finally arrived at polling unit 085, Ward 3, Sunday Adigun, Alausa, Ikeja, which is where the All Progressive Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, will be casting his vote.

Folasade Tinubu-Ojo the Iyaloja of Lagos, who's also the daughter of the APC candidate, has arrived at her polling unit in 085, Ward 3, Sunday Adigun, Alausa, Ikeja.

President Muhammadu Buhari has voted in his polling unit PU 003 at Sarkin Yara ward A, in Daura, Katsina. The president publicly displayed his ballot paper for everyone to see. President Buhari has spent eight years in power and will be handing over to a new government on May 29, 2023.

President Muhammadu Buhari has voted in his polling unit PU 003 at Sarkin Yara ward A, in Daura, Katsina. The president publicly displayed his ballot paper for everyone to see. President Buhari has spent eight years in power and will be handing over to a new government on May 29, 2023.

Bola Tinubu has arrived at his polling unit in 085, Ward 3, Sunday Adigun, Alausa, Ikeja where he will be casting his vote.

Officers of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have been spotted at Tinubu's polling unit. This is in line with their task of curbing vote buying in the 2023 elections.

Nigeria's vice-president, Yemi Osinbajo and his wife have cast their votes in polling unit 14 in Ikenne, Ogun State. The VP lost the presidential ticket of the APC to Tinubu last year.

Bola Tinubu addressed the press after he cast his vote in PU 085 Ward 3, Sunday Adigun, Alausa, Ikeja. Tinubu described the process as smooth while expressing optimism about a high voter turnout.

Voting has continued across Nigeria where the electorate will be electing a new president and their representatives at the National Assembly. Voters across the country have shared images of the voting process in their various polling units and the process has been peaceful so far.

The governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, has cast his vote in his polling unit in Magwan, Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano. The governor is approaching the end of his second term in office.

Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has casted his vote in Polling Unit 39, Ward 13, in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area (LGA) of Bayelsa State. The former president was elected in 2015 and his administration is credited with introducing the use of card readers in Nigerian election.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan addressed the press after casting his vote in Polling Unit 39, Ward 13, in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area (LGA) of Bayelsa State. He encouraged all political stakeholders to embrace peace and uphold the rule of law.

LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has cast his vote in PU 019, Umudimakasi Square, Agulu, Anambra State. He's one of the leading candidates in the 2023 presidential election contested by a total of 18 candidates.

NNPP presidential candidate Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has voted in Tandu Polling Unit in Madobi Local Government Area of the state. Kwankwaso, a former two-term governor of Kano State, is vying for the office of the president.

The Director General of the World Trade Organisation Okonjo Iweala has shared via her Twitter handle that she has been waiting for over one hour for election materials in her polling unit in Umuda Isingwu village Umuahia, Abia state.

Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso the presidential candidate of the NNPP has addressed the press after casting his vote in Tandu Polling Unit in Madobi Local Government, Kano State. The candidate stated that voting started late and he expects INEC to conduct a free, fair, and credible election.

Reports of electoral violence in Ikate Lekki where thugs were reported to have destroyed ballot papers and harassing electorates.

Former president Olusegun Obasanjo has cast his vote in Ota Ogun state. After voting, he addressed the press and described the process as peaceful and satisfactory.

Edo state governor Obaseki casts vote in Edo state after which he called on INEC to hasten the electoral process so as to accommodate the large voter turnout.

The elections have been largely peaceful so far, but there have been concerning reports of violence, especially in Lagos where thugs have attacked polling units, and Borno State where terrorists fired at election officials.

INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu in a press conference in Abuja debunked news that voting will end at 2:30PM. He clarified that everyone on the voting queue before 2:30PM will be allowed to vote.

The Vice Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress Senator Kashim Shettima has voted in polling unit 023, Alhaji Kukawa, Lawan Bukar area of Maiduguri metropolis. It was earlier reported that there was a delay of INEC officials in reaching the polling unit.

Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Babagana Zulum (Borno), Emmanuel Odom (Akwa Ibom) and Hope Uzodinma (Imo), have all voted.

Voting has now officially ended at 2:30 pm, but whoever is already accredited and on the line to vote by the time of the deadline will still be allowed to vote.

Voting has resumed in the Ikate area of Lagos State where eyewitnesses previously reported thugs harassing and assaulting voters. Security agents have arrived at the affected polling units and restored calm.

Sorting and counting of votes have started in numerous polling units where elections have concluded, but some units haven't seen election officials at all, even though the deadline for voting has passed.

Governor of Rivers State Nyesome Wike votes in Rivers after initial verification and accreditation delay.

Labour Party Vice Presidential candidate Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed votes at polling unit 021 in Tudun Wada, Zaria LGA of Kaduna state.

Vote counting begins in parts of Lagos and Anambra states.

APC's Tinubu won his polling unit, pulling 33 votes while the LP's Obi won eight votes, and PDP's Atiku won one vote.

Tinubu has won the polling unit of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State. The APC candidate garnered 104 votes while Obi got 82 votes, and Atiku got 27 votes.

INEC has postponed voting for the presidential and National Assembly elections in 141 polling units in Bayelsa State until tomorrow, Sunday, February 26, 2023.

APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, has won the polling unit of former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, who supports Peter Obi. Tinubu pulled 55 votes, Obi scored nine votes, and Atiku scored seven votes.

Voting continues in parts of Enugu and Abia States where the process was earlier scuttled by hoodlums.

Peter Obi pulled 89 votes to win the polling unit of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila. Tinubu finished second with 59 votes, while Atiku Abubakar scored five votes.

Atiku Abubakar won his polling unit with 282 votes, leaving Tinubu with 57, Kwankwaso with six and Peter Obi with one vote.

Peter Obi wins polling unit 131 in Aso Rock. Obi pulled 17 votes, Tinubu 6 votes, and Atiku Abubakar 3 votes.

Obi wins his polling unit with 236 votes while Atiku Abubakar and Bola Tinubu score 0 votes.

The counting of votes is happening all over the country, but state-by-state collation won't start until 12 pm on Sunday, February 26, 2023.

Atiku Abubakar scores 102 votes to win the polling unit of Labour Party's Vice Presidential candidate Ahmed Baba-Datti. Tinubu scored 98 while Labour Party scored 54.

Voting has been concluded in many parts of the country, except for the places where INEC has postponed elections. Results are starting to flood in all over Nigeria, but the state-by-state collation won't begin until noon on Sunday. See you then and thank you for sticking around for our election day coverage.

Ahead of tomorrow's collation, it's useful to keep in mind that the winner of the election must win the highest number of votes and also win 25% of votes in at least 24 states. If these two conditions aren't met, a runoff election will be conducted with only two candidates - the candidate with the highest number of votes in the first round and the candidate who has a majority of votes in the highest number of states.

Click on this link to follow our live updates on the collation of results for the election.