Full Breakdown
Bola Tinubu Secures APC Primary Nomination Amid Vote-Inflation Allegations
5/25/2026, 6:38:58 AM
Tinubu Clinches APC Primary with Over 10 Million Votes
On Sunday, 24 May 2026, the All Progressives Congress (APC) announced President Bola Tinubu as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election. Tinubu received 10 999 162 votes from accredited party members, while his sole challenger, businessman Stanley Osifo, obtained 16 503 votes. The primary, conducted across 8 809 wards nationwide, will be formalised at a nomination ceremony in Abuja later this month.
Reforms and Party Expansion Shape Tinubu’s Second-Term Bid
Since taking office in 2023, Tinubu has pursued a reform agenda that includes removing fuel and electricity subsidies, ending foreign-exchange controls and overhauling the tax code. These policies have attracted praise from foreign investors. Concurrently, the APC’s control of Nigeria’s states rose from 21 in 2023 to 31 of the 36 states, driven by a wave of defections and the collapse of an opposition pact to field a single challenger.
Principal Actors in the Primary Process
- Bola Tinubu – Incumbent president and APC presidential nominee.
- Stanley Osifo – Little-known Edo-state businessman who spent 100 million naira (? $73 000) to contest the primary.
- Pius Anyim – Chairman of the APC presidential primaries election committee, who declared the results.
- Nentawe Yilwatda – APC National Chairman, who presented Tinubu’s certificate of return.
- Bello Matawalle – Minister of State for Defence, who publicly forecast a decisive APC victory.
- Usman Ododo – Governor of Kogi State and state coordinator for the primary exercise.
Vote Totals and Party Reach
The committee reported 11 069 756 accredited APC members, of whom 11 015 665 cast ballots. Tinubu’s tally of 10 999 162 votes represents roughly 99.9 % of votes cast. Osifo’s 16 503 votes correspond to less than 0.2 % of the total. The APC now governs 31 states, a significant increase from its 2023 footprint, and the primary spanned 8 809 wards across the country.
Official Statements
Pius Anyim announced, “I am delighted to announce … President Bola Ahmed Tinubu … received a total number of 10 999 162 votes … I declare him the winner of the presidential primary election.” APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda thanked supporters, saying, “Thank you all of you. You changed the landscape, looking at the figure that you returned.” Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle predicted a “decisive” victory for Tinubu and other APC candidates. Governor Usman Ododo described the exercise as “a demonstration of confidence in President Bola Tinubu and the ruling party across the three senatorial districts of the state.” Tinubu himself asserted that he “won fairly.”
Criticism and Opposition
Social-media users circulated videos from Bende ward in Abia State showing vote-count tallies jumping from single digits to thousands, prompting accusations that the counting process was inflated. Netizens argued that such footage undermines the credibility of the primary results.
Conflicting Reports and Gaps
The official tally of 10 999 162 votes for Tinubu contrasts with on-the-ground recordings of abrupt count jumps, creating a discrepancy that has not been independently verified. No formal response from the APC has addressed the specific allegations of inflated figures.
Future Steps
Tinubu’s candidacy will be formally confirmed at a ceremony in Abuja’s conference centre named after him. The general election is scheduled for January 2027, where the APC will face opposition candidates after the earlier pact to present a single challenger fell apart.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I am delighted to announce … President Bola Ahmed Tinubu … received a total number of 10 999 162 votes … I declare him the winner of the presidential primary election.” — Pius Anyim, APC Primaries Committee Chair
- “Thank you all of you. You changed the landscape, looking at the figure that you returned.” — Nentawe Yilwatda, APC National Chairman
- “President Bola Tinubu’s victory, and that of other APC candidates, will be decisive.” — Bello Matawalle, Minister of State for Defence
- “The exercise was a demonstration of confidence in President Bola Tinubu and the ruling party across the three senatorial districts of the state.” — Usman Ododo, Governor of Kogi State
- “I won fairly.” — Bola Tinubu, President of Nigeria
