Tinubu Wins APC Primary With 10.9 Million Votes

Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday accepted his nomination as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 election, declaring that Nigerians would not hand over the country to politicians “without a clear alternative vision.”

Tinubu, who spoke at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja, after emerging winner of the APC presidential primary, said the 2027 election must be about consolidating reforms and sustaining economic progress rather than reversing policies already initiated by his administration.

The President secured a landslide victory in the primary election, polling 10,999,162 votes to defeat his challenger, Stanley Osifo, who scored 16,503 votes.

Accepting the nomination, Tinubu said he was humbled by the confidence reposed in him by party members and pledged to serve the country with “even greater determination.”

He said: “This next election must not merely be a contest of parties or ideas, but a reaffirmation of Nigeria’s democratic maturity.

“As a government, we have taken giant steps forward. Let’s not give in to complacency by allowing politicians with no clear alternative vision to take our country backwards.”

Tinubu said his administration had laid the foundation for long-term economic growth through reforms in the power, oil and gas, education, and fiscal sectors.

According to him, the government had moved away from “wasteful fuel subsidies, unstable exchange rates, and weak infrastructure,” adding that the country was beginning to witness positive economic indicators.

“Today, we are witnessing a turnaround: the naira is strengthening, foreign reserves are rising, and our economic outlook is positive despite the inflationary disruption caused by the war in Iran and the geopolitical crisis in the Middle East,” he said.

The President also highlighted achievements recorded under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, saying over ₦282 billion had been disbursed to more than 1.5 million beneficiaries.

On electricity supply, Tinubu said his administration had closed the metering gap by supplying 2.5 million meters through the Presidential Metering Initiative and established a ₦4 trillion bond programme to settle verified debts owed to power generation and gas companies.

He said power generation had, at some points, peaked at 6,000 megawatts, describing it as 50 per cent higher than what his administration inherited.

The APC presidential candidate acknowledged that many Nigerians were still facing economic hardship due to ongoing reforms but insisted that the government understood the concerns of citizens.

“Many Nigerians still struggle with rising costs and economic adjustment. We do not dismiss these concerns; we understand them and govern not in comfort, but in reality — with honesty and action,” he said.

Tinubu also reiterated his support for the creation of state police, urging the National Assembly to amend the Constitution to address insecurity across the country.

“We also expect the National Assembly to amend the Constitution to allow the creation of state police as a matter of national emergency,” he added.

The President promised to build a more inclusive government if re-elected and called on Nigerians across political, ethnic, and religious lines to unite behind the country’s development.

“To those who may disagree with us politically, we extend a hand of partnership in nation-building. To those who differ with our philosophy, we offer dialogue and engagement,” he said.

Tinubu expressed confidence that, with another four years, Nigeria would be placed on what he described as “an irreversible path of economic expansion, industrialisation, energy security, infrastructure development, food sufficiency, and democratic consolidation.”

Earlier, the APC presented its flag to Tinubu as the winner of the party’s presidential ticket for the 2027 general election.

The APC National Working Committee (NWC), led by the National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, presented the flag after the declaration of the results of the party’s presidential primaries in Abuja on Sunday.

Chairman of the APC Primary Election Committee, Sen. Pius Anyim, announced that Tinubu polled 10.99 million votes to defeat his only rival, Stanley Osifo, who scored 16,503 votes in the primaries held in 8,809 wards across the country.

The chairman of the APC Presidential Primaries Committee stated that out of the 12,643,216 registered members of the party, 11,069,756 were accredited, while 11,015,665 votes.

It was gathered that the APC governors in 31 states and other top party officials, who served as coordinators and collation officers in their states, presented the results of the direct primaries to the Presidential Primary Election Committee chaired by former Senate President Anyim.

While President Tinubu dominated all 36 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), winning 100 per cent of the votes in most of them, Osifo put up an impressive performance in a few states, including Niger, where he scored 5,248 votes; Kano, 2,675; Lagos, 1,186; Abia, 1,007; Oyo, 929; Benue, 779; and Nasarawa, 768.

In his remarks, APC National Chairman Yilwatda expressed optimism that the party would be victorious in the 2027 general election, considering the impact of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration.

He said the party had conducted transparent primaries for the House of Assembly, National Assembly, governorship, and, ultimately, the presidential nomination.

The APC chairman said the party remained committed to inclusiveness and internal democracy, as evident in the presidential primaries, which were open to all members to contest.

“We have two aspirants for this position: the sitting President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the second aspirant, Honourable Stanley Osifo.

“Yesterday was the primary election. It was conducted nationwide. Accreditation took place in all the wards across the country. We also ensured that there was collation at the local government level, which was done yesterday. Most states also concluded their collation yesterday at the state level, while some did so today.

“Today, we are conducting the national collation and, because of our commitment to transparency, we decided to make this programme live. It is being broadcast on five TV stations and online. I am happy that the representatives of the two aspirants are here. There have been challenges to the results.

“It shows that the APC is open when challenges arise and mistakes are made. Corrections were effected based on the suggestions of the representatives of the two aspirants, and I am happy that this collation has gone smoothly, with mutual respect between the two aspirants and the respect that every aspirant in the party has shown to the party.

“Finally, at this defining moment, we have concluded the collation. Let me thank the governors who served as returning officers in their states and others selected to serve in similar capacities. Let me also thank all the party members who are here.

“Having said that, I also want to thank the team led by Senator Pius Anyim, which has done excellently well in terms of coordination, preparation, and ensuring that this transition takes place seamlessly,” he added.

Earlier, Chairman of the APC Presidential Primary Election Committee, Sen. Pius Anyim, called on the winner, Tinubu, to wear the crown with humility, knowing that victory is a trust from the people.

“The winner should wear his crown with humility, knowing that victory is a trust from the people. Those who do not prevail should wear their honour with pride because, in this room, no vote is wasted and no voice is silent. We are all winners,” Anyim said.

The former Senate President advised any aspirant aggrieved by the conduct or outcome of the primary to seek redress at the Presidential Primary Election Appeals Committee chaired by the former governor of Katsina State, Hon. Aminu Bello Masari.

“Appeals shall be filed in accordance with the timelines and procedures communicated by the Appeals Committee. Recourse to the courts shall only be available as provided under Section 88 of the Electoral Act.

“This committee shall have final authority over all matters arising from the conduct of this primary at the national level. All participants are enjoined to cooperate fully with the committee and its officers,” he said.

Anyim noted that the direct primary mode adopted by the party was not only an effort to select candidates for the 2027 elections but also to give effect to the long-standing call for electoral reforms, which culminated in fundamental amendments to the Electoral Act.

“By this groundbreaking model, the APC has become the first political party to adopt the direct primary election model for its presidential primary election.

“Therefore, the central intent of the APC in adopting the direct primary model includes: one, deepening democratic participation; two, ensuring inclusivity; and three, expanding the political space.

“It provides an opportunity for all members of the party to participate in the process; it forecloses vote-buying associated with delegate elections; it offers transparency as against secret ballots; and it enhances the confidence of each voter that his or her vote counts,” he added.

In interviews with journalists, some APC governors, including Umar Bago of Niger State and Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, said the party’s nomination processes fully complied with the Electoral Act, 2026.

“I have seen the provisions of the Electoral Act work. It provides for either direct primaries or consensus. Where we are not able to build consensus, we have to conduct direct primaries.

“As such, for the President, the Electoral Act has proven itself, showing that no matter your status, you must comply with the Electoral Act.

“As such, direct primaries were conducted across my state and across the country to select our party’s flag bearer, who is our President. And that happened smoothly, rancour-free, and we are excited,” Bago said.