BY FRONTLINE REPORTERS
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recorded sweeping victories across several states on Saturday as the All Progressives Congress (APC) conducted its nationwide presidential primary elections ahead of the 2027 general polls.
The exercise, which took place simultaneously across the party’s 8,809 wards nationwide, featured President Tinubu and fellow aspirant Stanley Osifo on the ballot. However, results announced from several states showed overwhelming support for the incumbent president, with Osifo recording little or no votes in many areas.
The nationwide primaries marked a major step in Tinubu’s bid to secure a second term in office, as governors, lawmakers, party officials, and millions of APC members participated in the exercise.
President Tinubu and his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, voted at their polling unit in Ikoyi, Lagos State, where the president described democracy as a process sustained by committed citizens and strong institutions rather than “noise and speculation.”
In a post on his official X handle shortly after voting, Tinubu said:
“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, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, also participated in the exercise at his hometown in Dungung, Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Tinubu Dominates in Rivers, Kaduna
In Rivers State, the president secured a commanding 280,468 votes, while his challenger failed to record a single vote in all the local government areas announced.
Obio/Akpor Local Government Area delivered the highest number of votes for Tinubu with 28,680 votes, followed by Port Harcourt City with 17,522 votes and Khana with 17,085 votes.
A similar scenario played out in Kaduna State, where APC members across the 255 political wards in the 23 local government areas overwhelmingly endorsed Tinubu as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
The affirmation exercise witnessed large turnouts of party faithful and stakeholders, while officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and party monitors supervised the process.
Massive Victories in Akwa Ibom, Kogi, Ogun, Bayelsa
In Akwa Ibom State, Tinubu polled 389,197 votes across the state’s 329 wards, while Stanley Osifo again recorded zero votes.
Governor Umo Eno, who served as the State Collation Officer, announced the results and praised APC members for what he described as the peaceful and orderly conduct of the exercise.
According to him, the turnout reflected growing confidence in the APC and support for the president’s administration.
In Kogi State, Tinubu secured 197,370 votes, with Governor Ahmed Ododo disclosing that the number matched the total accredited voters for the exercise.
Ododo, who announced the results at the APC secretariat in Lokoja, said the process was peaceful and transparent.
The president also emerged victorious in Ogun State, polling 322,485 votes across the state’s 236 wards and 20 local government areas. Governor Dapo Abiodun, who chaired the election committee in the state, formally declared the result.
Tinubu equally recorded over 277,000 votes in Bayelsa State, further strengthening his dominance in the nationwide exercise.
Massive Turnout in Kebbi
The exercise also attracted large crowds in Kebbi State, where APC members turned out in large numbers to participate in the direct presidential primaries.
Governor Nasir Idris and the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, participated in the exercise through a voice-voting process at Nassarawa II polling unit.
The polling unit reportedly delivered 5,652 votes in favour of Tinubu, while another polling unit in the state capital returned 2,825 votes for the president.
Uzodimma Challenges Opposition Parties
Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State used the occasion to challenge opposition parties to emulate the APC’s grassroots mobilisation strategy ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking after voting in his Omuma ward in Oru East Local Government Area, Uzodimma said Tinubu’s performance in office had earned him the right to seek re-election.
He credited the APC’s electronic membership registration and validation process for deepening grassroots participation and strengthening the party’s political structure nationwide.
“Well, it is no longer a democracy if there is no opposition. I also encourage opposition parties to work hard and do what the ruling party has done,” the governor said.
Uzodimma further claimed that over 35,000 APC members were registered in a single ward in Oru East, describing the development as evidence of growing acceptance of the party under Tinubu’s leadership.
Tinubu To Receive Certificate of Return
Meanwhile, President Tinubu is expected to officially receive the APC Certificate of Return and the party’s presidential flag on Sunday in Abuja.
According to a statement by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, the presentation will take place at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre following the collation of results from across the country.
The event is expected to attract APC governors, members of the National Executive Committee, National Working Committee, lawmakers, and other party stalwarts.
The presidential primaries come shortly after the APC concluded its governorship, National Assembly, and state assembly primary elections nationwide.
Since coming to power in 2015, the APC has remained Nigeria’s ruling party after becoming the first opposition party to defeat an incumbent government at the federal level.
However, opposition parties have continued to accuse the APC administration of mismanaging the country’s affairs, allegations the ruling party has consistently denied.
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