President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has emerged as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the 2027 general election after polling 10,999,162 votes in the party’s nationwide direct primaries.
According to a report by Punch Newspaper, Tinubu defeated his sole challenger, Stanley Osifo, who secured 16,503 votes during the exercise conducted across 8,809 wards nationwide on Saturday.
The Chairman of the Presidential Primary Elections Committee and Returning Officer, Pius Anyim, announced the results on Sunday at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre.
Anyim disclosed that 12.6 million party members were registered for the exercise, while over 11 million voters were accredited and votes cast.
“It is, therefore, my duty as returning officer for this primary election to declare President Bola Tinubu, having satisfied the guidelines, as the winner of the APC presidential primary election,” he said.
Tinubu later received the party’s certificate of return from APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, at a ceremony attended by governors, lawmakers and party leaders.
Tinubu promises inclusive leadership
In his acceptance speech, Tinubu thanked party members for their support and described the peaceful conduct of the primary as a sign of democratic progress.
“I accept with profound humility and gratitude the nomination of our great party,” the President said.
He noted that he monitored the voting process nationwide after casting his vote in Lagos and praised the turnout across several states.
Tinubu also extended an olive branch to political opponents and critics, including Osifo, saying democracy thrives on dialogue and diversity of ideas.
The President pledged to build a more inclusive administration if re-elected in 2027.
Tinubu defends economic reforms
Reflecting on his administration’s reforms since taking office in May 2023, Tinubu admitted that the policies had been difficult for many Nigerians.
“If you lost sleep, I’ve lost some too. If you’ve lost weight, I’ve lost some too,” he stated.
The President highlighted achievements including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, which he said had disbursed over N282bn to 1.5 million beneficiaries, alongside the Presidential Metering Initiative and improvements in electricity generation.
On insecurity, Tinubu said his administration was strengthening intelligence gathering, surveillance systems and community partnerships while calling on the National Assembly to approve constitutional amendments for state police.
“We will not rest until we restore peace and stability to every corner of our country,” he said.
Osifo accepts outcome
Osifo accepted the outcome of the primary and pledged to support Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election.
“We are one party, we are members of the APC, we are one family,” he said.
He dismissed suggestions that his participation was intended to undermine the President, insisting the contest was part of the party’s democratic process.
Osifo recorded zero votes in several states, including the Federal Capital Territory, Delta, Kaduna and Edo, but secured more than 5,000 votes in Niger State.
APC hails turnout
APC National Chairman Yilwatda described the ruling party as Nigeria’s strongest political force ahead of the next general election.
He said the large turnout during the primaries showed increasing public support for the party and insisted no opposition party could match the APC’s nationwide structure.
Yilwatda also revealed that a reconciliation committee headed by Mai Mala Buni was addressing grievances arising from the primaries.
