President Bola Tinubu has secured an overwhelming victory over his sole challenger, Stanley Osifo, in the All Progressives Congress presidential primary, as party structures across the country delivered endorsements for his second-term bid.
The President swept across wards and states in a process dominated by endorsements from party organs, governors and grassroots delegates. The exercise was conducted across 8,809 wards nationwide and effectively turned into an affirmation of Tinubu’s candidacy, with Osifo recording negligible support.
Although APC organs, including the National Executive Committee, the National Working Committee, the Progressive Governors Forum and state structures had earlier endorsed Tinubu, the party proceeded with a direct primary to formally ratify its candidate.
After casting his vote at his polling unit in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Saturday, President Tinubu described the primary as a demonstration of internal democracy.
“This is a demonstration of internal democracy. This is politics; grassroots politics, where every member of the party has a right to participate and be involved. It’s to ensure that we have internal democracy, and it’s peaceful and well-organised,” Tinubu said.
The National Secretary of the party, Ajibola Basiru, described the primary as peaceful.
“Party members were happy to go out and vote for the aspirant of their choice. Results have been collated in all the 774 wards and also across the 36 states and the FCT. I know that from what I have seen so far in terms of images, it’s going to be a landslide victory for President Bola Tinubu,” Basiru said.
In Bayelsa, Tinubu polled a total of 277,192 votes across the state, while Osifo secured just five votes. The State Collation and Returning Officer, Governor Douye Diri, said the exercise was peaceful and conducted across all wards with full participation from party members.
In Rivers State, Governor Siminalayi Fubara said Tinubu secured a total of 280,082 votes, while Osifo scored zero votes. Fubara said he painstakingly verified the figures before certifying the outcome.
In Gombe, Tinubu secured 450,517 votes, defeating Osifo, who polled zero votes. Governor Muhammadu Yahaya described the outcome as a clear indication of the state’s unwavering support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In Edo State, Governor Monday Okpebholo, who served as returning officer, said Tinubu secured 131,096 votes, while Osifo polled one vote. In Osun State, Tinubu polled 100,880 votes across 332 wards, while Osifo recorded zero votes.
In Abia State, at Igbere Ward A in Bende Local Government Area, former governor Orji Kalu led over 4,000 registered APC members to support the President. At Bende, the hometown of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, over 13,000 party faithful lined up for Tinubu, while Osifo scored no votes.
Meanwhile, as the ruling party consolidated around Tinubu, the opposition African Democratic Congress is still battling internal divisions over its presidential ticket. The ADC had initially pushed for a consensus arrangement, but disagreements among key aspirants—former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen—have complicated efforts to present a united front.
The Chairman of the ADC Policy and Manifesto Committee, John Oyegun, a former National Chairman of the APC, said consensus would save valuable time. “If the aspirants fail to agree, we will follow what the law says. The law says where there is no agreement on consensus, we must conduct a direct primary. If that is what we have to do, we will do it,” Oyegun said.
Amaechi has repeatedly insisted he will not step down for any aspirant, declaring in Kano: “I am not stepping down for anyone. Let the people decide who they want to lead.”
A chieftain of the ADC, Dele Momodu, said the personalities involved and the huge financial commitments already made by the aspirants made consensus difficult. He maintained that a competitive contest was not necessarily harmful to the party, provided the process remained credible and democratic.
Another ADC chieftain, Timothy Osadolor, urged Atiku to pursue negotiations that could lead to a consensus arrangement. “No one is in doubt as to the capacity and competence of the Wazirin Adamawa in every party primary he has been engaged in. However, times have changed significantly, and perceptions have too. He will be making a mistake in thinking that Rotimi Amaechi can be wished away or run over in today’s politics or within the ADC,” Osadolor said.
