President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has emerged as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the January 16, 2027 election after recording a landslide victory in the party’s nationwide direct primary.
The APC candidate secured 10,999,162 votes in an exercise party leaders described as unprecedented in Nigeria’s political history due to its adoption of a direct primary system involving party members across all wards nationwide.
The primary election, which took place on Saturday in all 8,809 wards across the country, was officially concluded on Sunday during the national collation held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.
Former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim, who chaired the national collation exercise, announced the final results before party leaders, government officials, and supporters gathered at the venue.
According to the figures released, APC’s total membership stood at 12,643,316, while 11,069,756 members were accredited for the exercise and 11,015,665 eventually voted.
Tinubu overwhelmingly defeated his challenger, Stanley Osifo, who polled 16,504 votes nationwide. Osifo reportedly failed to secure any vote in 21 states and managed only one vote in his home state of Edo.
The announcement triggered loud celebrations inside the packed conference centre attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, National Assembly leaders, governors and members of the APC National Working Committee.
Shettima had arrived Abuja shortly before the ceremony after representing Tinubu at the inauguration of the newly sworn-in president of Benin Republic earlier in the day.
One notable figure at the event was elder statesman Tanko Yakasai, the 101-year-old former adviser to late President Shehu Shagari. Tinubu publicly acknowledged Yakasai during his remarks and praised his decades of service to the nation, drawing applause from attendees.
Governors served as collation officers for most states, while special party appointees handled presentations from non-APC controlled states. Among them were Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Gboyega Oyetola for Osun State, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu for Abia State, and Health Minister Ali Pate for Bauchi State.
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who recently withdrew from the governorship primary, also participated in the process as the state’s presidential primary collation officer.
Following the declaration, Tinubu was presented with the APC flag and Certificate of Return by APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda alongside members of the National Working Committee.
Speaking during the event, Yilwatda described the exercise as a major step toward strengthening internal democracy within the ruling party. He explained that the direct primary system was adopted to encourage inclusiveness, reduce vote-buying and improve transparency in candidate selection.
He also disclosed that concerns were raised over some collated figures by representatives of both aspirants, but noted that the issues were resolved peacefully through dialogue and corrections where necessary.
Anyim, while defending the adoption of the direct primary model, said the system had opened wider participation for party members and reflected the APC’s commitment to electoral reforms. According to him, the initiative would help rebuild public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process and serve as a model for future elections.
