Manny Ita –
Bola Ahmed Tinubu has secured the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general election after a sweeping victory in the party’s nationwide primary election held on Saturday.
The incumbent president defeated his only challenger, Stanley Osifo, by overwhelming margins across several states, with Osifo polling either zero or only a handful of votes in most of the announced results.
The primary exercise, which party officials described as peaceful and orderly, was supervised by governors appointed as collation officers by the APC leadership.
In Rivers State, Tinubu secured 280,468 votes while Osifo failed to record any vote across the 23 local government areas, according to Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
In Edo State, Tinubu polled 131,096 votes against Osifo’s lone vote. Governor Monday Okpebholo, who served as the returning officer, praised the conduct of the exercise as transparent and peaceful.
Gombe State also delivered a landslide outcome, with Governor Muhammadu Yahaya announcing that Tinubu received 450,516 votes while his challenger got none.
A similar pattern emerged in Osun State, where the president polled 100,880 votes with no votes recorded for Osifo. Former governor and current minister Adegboyega Oyetola said the turnout reflected widespread backing for Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda.”
In Ebonyi State, Tinubu swept all 207,579 valid votes cast across the 13 local government areas, while Osifo again failed to secure any support. Governor Francis Nwifuru said the exercise was conducted simultaneously in all 171 wards of the state.
Kwara State also returned a decisive result, with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq declaring Tinubu winner with 310,990 votes against Osifo’s zero.
In Bayelsa State, Tinubu secured 277,192 votes while Osifo managed five votes. Zamfara State recorded 321,579 votes for Tinubu and 42 for Osifo, according to Governor Dauda Lawal.
Several APC leaders described the large turnout during the primary as evidence of growing confidence in Tinubu’s administration and leadership within the ruling party.
Governor Hope Uzodimma said the turnout in Imo demonstrated the president’s grassroots support, adding that the APC’s electronic membership validation system strengthened the credibility of the exercise.
Meanwhile, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga announced that Tinubu would officially receive his certificate of return and the APC flag as the party’s 2027 presidential candidate on Sunday at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.
