President Bola Tinubu has emerged as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 general election after winning the party’s nationwide direct primary election with 10,999,162 votes.
His only challenger, Stanley Osifo, polled 16,503 votes in the exercise conducted across the country’s 8,809 wards on Saturday.
The result was announced on Sunday at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja by the Chairman of the APC Presidential Primary Election Committee and Returning Officer, Senator Pius Anyim.
Declaring the result, Anyim said 12,643,301 party members were registered to participate in the primary. According to him, 11,069,756 members were accredited, while 11,015,665 votes were cast.
“It is my duty as returning officer to declare President Bola Tinubu, having satisfied the requirements of the party’s guidelines, as the winner of the APC presidential primary election and the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election,” he said.
Following the declaration, APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, presented Tinubu with the party’s certificate of return and flag in the presence of governors, members of the National Executive Committee, National Working Committee members, lawmakers and other party leaders.
Tinubu Accepts Nomination, Promises Inclusive Leadership
In his acceptance speech, Tinubu expressed appreciation to APC leaders and members for their support and confidence in his leadership.
“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,” he said.
The President disclosed that after casting his vote at his Ward L2 polling unit in Ikoyi-Obalende, Lagos, he followed the exercise across the country on television and was encouraged by the peaceful conduct of party members.
He noted the large turnout of supporters in different parts of the country and commended members for conducting the exercise without violence.
Tinubu also extended an olive branch to critics, political opponents and his challenger, Stanley Osifo.
“Democracy thrives on diversity of opinions and ideas. To those who disagree with our philosophy, we offer dialogue and engagement. I bear no grudge against anyone, including Osifo,” he said.
The President pledged to build a more inclusive government if re-elected and promised to continue pursuing policies aimed at national development.
President Defends Economic Reforms
Reflecting on his administration’s performance since assuming office in May 2023, Tinubu acknowledged that ongoing economic reforms had imposed hardship on Nigerians but insisted they were necessary.
“I know what it takes to reform a country that was in serious difficulty. If Nigerians lost sleep, I also lost sleep. If they lost weight, I lost some too,” he said.
He maintained that the reforms were beginning to yield positive results and cited achievements in education, electricity and public finance.
According to him, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund has disbursed more than N282 billion to over 1.5 million beneficiaries.
He also highlighted the Presidential Metering Initiative, which he said had delivered 2.5 million electricity meters nationwide, as well as a N4 trillion intervention designed to clear debts owed to power generation and gas companies.
Tinubu further stated that electricity generation had risen to 6,000 megawatts, representing a significant increase over previous levels.
Calls for State Police
On security, the President acknowledged that insecurity remains a challenge in some parts of the country but said his administration was strengthening security operations through improved intelligence gathering, surveillance and community engagement.
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He also urged the National Assembly to amend the Constitution to allow the creation of state police.
“We expect the National Assembly to treat the issue of state police as a matter of national urgency. We will continue working until every Nigerian can live and work without fear,” he said.
Osifo Accepts Outcome
Tinubu’s challenger, Stanley Osifo, accepted the outcome of the primary and pledged to support the APC candidate ahead of the general election.
Speaking after the declaration, Osifo said the exercise was not a personal contest but a democratic process aimed at selecting the party’s flag bearer.
“We are members of the same political family. We were simply deciding who would represent the party. Now that a candidate has emerged, we will work together for victory,” he said.
Osifo thanked his supporters across the country and expressed optimism about his future in politics.
The APC primary marked the first presidential direct primary conducted by the party under the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, which abolished indirect presidential primaries and requires political parties to adopt either direct primaries or consensus arrangements in selecting candidates.
APC Boasts of Strong Position Ahead of 2027
Meanwhile, APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, declared that the ruling party remains the strongest political force in the country ahead of the 2027 general election.
He said the large turnout recorded during the party’s primaries across the country demonstrated growing support for the APC and confidence in its leadership.
According to him, no opposition party currently possesses the membership strength, nationwide structure or level of participation witnessed during the APC primary exercises.
Yilwatda also revealed that reconciliation committees headed by senior party leaders had been activated to address grievances arising from the primaries and strengthen party unity before the general election.
While acknowledging that complaints are common in competitive political contests, he dismissed allegations of widespread irregularities, insisting that many videos circulating online were unrelated to APC activities.
The APC concluded its primary election schedule with the presidential contest after earlier conducting primaries for House of Representatives, Senate, state assembly and governorship positions across the country.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.