President Bola Tinubu has secured the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket for the 2027 general elections, polling a commanding 10,999,162 votes in the party’s first nationwide direct primary.
The official results, declared in Abuja by the Chairman of the APC Presidential Primary Election Committee, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, showed sweeping dominance by the incumbent across the federation.
Conducted across 8,809 wards in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the exercise confirmed the president’s tight grip on the ruling party’s grassroots base.
Tinubu completely overwhelmed his sole challenger, Mr. Stanley Osifo, an Edo State businessman who refused a consensus arrangement after paying ₦100 million for the nomination form.
Osifo garnered 16,503 votes nationwide, failing to secure a single vote in 21 states and the FCT, and receiving only one vote in his native Edo State. In stark contrast, Tinubu posted massive tallies across all geopolitical zones, recording his highest numbers in Lagos (814,988), followed by Adamawa (644,149) and Kaduna (618,914); scoring 389,197 votes in Akwa Ibom.
States Osifo had no vote at all are Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Osun, Kogi, Delta, Ebonyi, Jigawa, Kwara, Borno, Enugu, Kebbi, Ondo, Yobe, Rivers, Taraba, Gombe, Ekiti, Ogun and Sokoto.
Accepting the nomination flag and Certificate of Return at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, the President urged Nigerians to reject opposition politicians who lack a clear alternative vision.
He promised that a second term would consolidate his administration’s major reforms, particularly the student loan scheme (NELFUND), electricity metering initiatives, and strategic highway infrastructure.
Tinubu also acknowledged ongoing economic hardships, promising to govern in reality with honesty, while urging the National Assembly to fast-track constitutional amendments for state police to address persistent security challenges.
In a show of sportsmanship, President Tinubu congratulated Osifo for accepting the outcome and emphasized that democratic friction is a sign of political maturity rather than a threat.
Reaching out beyond his party, the President expressed an open willingness to engage in dialogue with political critics and opponents, stating that democracy is sustained by a diversity of ideas.
He reflected on his journey from the 2022 primary alongside his predecessor, the late Muhammadu Buhari, and framed his current candidacy as an essential push for continuity, economic expansion, and national unity.
Meanwhile, APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, dismissed criticisms and viral videos alleging irregularities during the voting process, labeling them as unverified and unrelated to the party.
He described the massive turnout on Saturday as a successful “dress rehearsal” for a definitive victory in the 2027 general elections.
Yilwatda projected immense confidence, asserting that no rival political platform could match the structural strength and mobilization capacity demonstrated by the ruling party.
