APC primaries: Tinubu polls 10.9m votes to clinch presidential ticket

President Bola Tinubu on Sunday clinched the All Progressives Congress presidential ticket for the 2027 general election, polling 10,999,162 votes against his sole challenger, Stanley Osifo, who scored 16,503 in the nationwide direct primaries conducted across all 8,809 wards on Saturday, May 23.

The Returning Officer and Chairman of the Presidential Primary Elections Committee, Pius Anyim, announced the final figures and made the declaration after the nationwide collation of results at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja.

The exercise ended the scheduled primaries of the APC, ahead of the 2027 elections.

The APC kicked off its 2027 primary elections with the House of Representatives exercise, followed by the Senate primaries on Monday, May 18, state Houses of Assembly primaries on Wednesday, May 20, governorship primaries on Thursday, May 21, and the presidential primary on Saturday, May 23.

Speaking at the presidential primary declaration on Sunday, Anyim stated that total registered voters stood at 12,643,30 11,069,756 were accredited, while 11,015,665 votes were 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 and hereby declare the presidential candidate of the APC,” Anyim said.

Tinubu, thereafter, received the party’s certificate of return and flag from the party chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, in a ceremony attended by APC governors, members of the National Executive Committee, the National Working Committee, lawmakers and party stalwarts.

In his acceptance speech, the President thanked the party leadership and members who voted in the nationwide exercise, acknowledging the trust they reposed in him to be the flag bearer in the 2027 polls.

He said, “I accept with profound humility and gratitude the nomination of our great party, the APC, to stand again as your presidential candidate in the 2027 election.”

The President said he had watched the primary exercise unfold on television after casting his own vote at his Ward L2 polling unit in Ikoyi-Obalende, Lagos, on Saturday morning, describing what he saw across the country as a personal source of inspiration.

“I was glued to the television after voting. I saw the mammoth crowd in Kano and Kaduna, the city boy walking the streets of Calabar.

“It was a good feeling to see that there was no bloodshed, no rancour. This is politics in earnest. This is where we want Nigeria, facing one focus,” he noted.

Tinubu extended a hand of partnership to political opponents, critics of his administration and to his sole contender, Osifo.

He said, “To those who despise our philosophy, we offer dialogue and engagement, not anger, confident that the sincerity of our purpose and the result of our work will speak for themselves.

“Democracy is sustained not by uniformity but by diversity, by a shared belief in the nation, and the blending of ideas. I owe you no grudge, including Osifo, who spent his money.”

Tinubu also pledged to work with every section of the polity and Nigerians from all walks of life.

“I pledge to build an even more inclusive government, one that listens, learns, and leads with the best interests of all Nigerians at heart,” he said, adding that the next election must be “a reaffirmation of Nigeria’s democratic maturity” rather than merely a contest of parties.

Reflecting on the past three years he has spent in office, Tinubu acknowledged that the economic reforms his administration has pursued since May 2023 have been painful not only for citizens but for him personally.

He revealed, “I know what it takes to reform this nation we met in tatters. If you lost sleep, I’ve lost some too. If you’ve lost weight, I’ve lost some too.

“But I’ve always remembered one thing: in 2022, I asked for this job. You all supported me, and I got it. So I must do it…Since that night, a lot has changed. The political landscape has evolved. Thank you, all of you.”

He argued that his efforts have yielded results, citing deliverables such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund with, he said, has disbursed over N282bn across 1.5 million beneficiaries.

He also cited the Presidential Metering Initiative, which he said has supplied 2.5 million meters nationwide; a N4tn bond programme to settle legacy debts owed to power-generating and gas companies; and a peak power generation of 6,000 megawatts, which he argued was 50 per cent above what the administration inherited.

On security, Tinubu said his government is intensifying its partnership with local communities and also reviewing its security blueprint to tackle evolving threats.

“I acknowledge the security challenges still confronting parts of our beloved nation. I assure you that I take seriously the responsibility to safeguard the lives and property of every Nigerian.

“Our government has intensified efforts to strengthen our security architecture, support our brave armed forces and the police, and forge stronger partnerships with local communities,” he stated.

The President said his administration had invested in intelligence, surveillance and modern equipment, and was addressing the root causes of insecurity.

He also called on the National Assembly to act.

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

“We will not rest until we restore peace and stability to every corner of our country. Our resolve is unwavering, and our goal is clear: a Nigeria where every citizen can live, work, and aspire without fear.”

Meanwhile, Tinubu’s main contender, Osifo, has pledged to work with the party to ensure victory at the presidential polls next January.

Osifo, who spoke to our correspondent shortly after the conclusion of the exercise, said, “I’m okay with the outcome of the results. And I’m working with the party, I’m working with the candidate of the party as well. I have no problem with it.”

He, however, debunked notions that framed his candidacy as a challenge to the President.

“We are one party, we are members of the All Progressives Congress, we are one family.

“So we are not challenging ourselves. What we did was to have within ourselves who would become the candidate of the party.

“So where we are now, we have that already today,” he explained.

On Tinubu’s public declaration that he holds no grudge against the sole contender, Osifo said he shares the same sentiment as the President.

He argued, “That is why we are working together. We are one party, so we must work together. Nobody is an island.

“Even if I had become the candidate today, I cannot work alone. Offering an olive branch is something that everybody would want to support the President for.”