By Peter Sosanya
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has recorded a landslide victory in the presidential primaries of the ruling All Progressives Congress held nationwide on Saturday, as the party intensifies preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The direct primary election, conducted simultaneously across 8,809 wards nationwide, featured only two aspirants on the ballot — incumbent President Tinubu and Stanley Osifo. Results announced from several states showed overwhelming support for the president, with Osifo failing to secure votes in many of the states declared.
President Tinubu and the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, cast their votes at their ward in Ikoyi, Lagos State, alongside millions of party members who participated in the exercise across the country.
Speaking after voting, Tinubu said democracy thrives on active citizen participation and strong institutions rather than “noise and speculation.”
According to him, “Democracy is not sustained by noise, speculation, or borrowed platforms. It is sustained by citizens who show up, party members who believe, institutions that endure, the grassroots, and a political family rooted in the people.”
The APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, also participated in the exercise at his hometown in Plateau State, while governors, lawmakers, ministers, and party leaders monitored and coordinated the process in their various states.
In Rivers State, Tinubu secured 280,468 votes, defeating Osifo who recorded zero votes in all councils announced. Obio/Akpor Local Government Area delivered the highest number of votes with 28,680, followed by Port Harcourt City with 17,522 votes and Khana with 17,085 votes.
A similar scenario played out in Kaduna State, where party members across the 255 wards in the 23 local government areas unanimously endorsed Tinubu for a second term.
Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission monitored the exercise alongside party officials to ensure compliance with electoral guidelines.
In Akwa Ibom State, Tinubu polled 389,197 votes across 329 wards, while Stanley Osifo again scored zero votes.
Governor Umo Eno, who served as the state collation officer, described the exercise as peaceful and orderly, noting that the turnout reflected growing support for the APC and confidence in the Tinubu administration.
Similarly, Tinubu secured 197,370 votes in Kogi State. Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, who announced the result in Lokoja, disclosed that the total number of accredited voters matched the total votes cast during the exercise.
In Ogun State, the president also emerged victorious with 322,485 votes. Governor Dapo Abiodun, who chaired the election committee in the state, announced the result after voting concluded across the 236 wards in the state.
Tinubu also recorded over 277,000 votes in Bayelsa State, while party members turned out massively in Kebbi State to participate in the direct primary exercise.
At the Nassarawa II polling unit in Kebbi, Governor Nasir Idris and Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu, joined other members in a voice vote exercise that produced thousands of votes in support of the president.
Governor Hope Uzodimma, while reacting to the turnout during the exercise in Imo State, advised opposition political parties to strengthen their grassroots mobilisation strategies ahead of the 2027 elections.
Uzodimma said the APC’s electronic membership registration and validation system had boosted participation at the grassroots level and positioned the ruling party strongly for future elections.
According to him, the turnout in his ward alone showed that over 35,000 members had been registered, a development he attributed to the growing popularity of the APC and Tinubu’s leadership.
Meanwhile, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga disclosed that Tinubu would formally receive the APC Certificate of Return and the party’s flag as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election on Sunday in Abuja.
The event, scheduled to hold at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, is expected to attract APC governors, members of the National Executive Committee, National Working Committee, National Assembly lawmakers, and other party stakeholders.
The APC primaries come days after the party concluded governorship, National Assembly, and state assembly primary elections ahead of the 2027 polls.
The ruling party, which came to power in 2015 after defeating the Peoples Democratic Party, continues to face criticism from opposition parties over its handling of national affairs — allegations the APC has consistently dismissed.
