President Bola Tinubu has clinched the All Progressives Congress presidential ticket for the 2027 general election after polling 10,999,162 votes in nationwide direct primaries, party officials said Sunday.
His sole challenger, Stanley Osifo, scored 16,503 votes in the exercise conducted across 8,809 wards on Saturday, May 23.
Pius Anyim, returning officer and chairman of the APC Presidential Primary Elections Committee, announced the results at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja after nationwide collation.
He said 11,069,756 of 12,643,330 registered voters 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,” Anyim said.
The APC held staggered primaries ahead of the 2027 elections, beginning with the House of Representatives, followed by Senate, state Houses of Assembly, governorship and presidential contests.
Tinubu, who voted at his ward in Ikoyi-Obalende, Lagos, said he watched the nationwide exercise on television and was encouraged by the turnout and peaceful conduct.
“I was glued to the television after voting. I saw the mammoth crowd in Kano and Kaduna,” he said. “It was a good feeling to see that there was no bloodshed, no rancour.”
He pledged to run a more inclusive administration and said he had no grudges against Osifo or other critics.
“To those who despise our philosophy, we offer dialogue and engagement,” Tinubu said. “Democracy is sustained not by uniformity but by diversity.”
The president also acknowledged economic hardships linked to reforms introduced since taking office in May 2023, saying they were necessary to rebuild the economy.
He cited initiatives including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, which he said had disbursed N282 billion to 1.5 million beneficiaries; the Presidential Metering Initiative; and a N4 trillion bond programme to clear power sector debts.
Tinubu also highlighted improved power generation and renewed efforts to strengthen security, including support for a proposed state police system.
“We will not rest until we restore peace and stability to every corner of our country,” he said.
Osifo, speaking after the primary, said he accepted the outcome and would support the party’s candidate.
“We are one party, we are members of the All Progressives Congress,” he said.
APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda said the party remained confident ahead of the 2027 elections, describing the primaries as evidence of its nationwide strength.
He also said a reconciliation committee led by Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni was addressing grievances arising from the exercise.
