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•Preident vows continuity of reforms, promises security, growth
From Romanus Ugwu and Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, polled an overwhelming 10.99 million votes to defeat his only challenger, Stanley Osifo, in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
While Tinubu got 10.99 million votes, Osifo scored 16,503, harvesting the greater parts of his votes from Niger and Kano states in the primaries held in 8,809 wards across the country.
According to the statistics, the ruling party has 12.643 million registered voters, 11.069 million were accredited, 11.015 voted.
Announcing the primaries results at the President Bola Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja, Chairman of the Collation committee, Anyim Pius Anyim, described the exercise as very impressive.
He said Tinubu dominated all the 36 states including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), winning 100 per cent votes while Osifo put up impressive performance in few states like Niger where he scored 5,248, Kano, 2,675, Lagos, 1,186, Abia, 1,007, Oyo 929, Benue, 779 and Nasarawa with 768 votes.
In almost all the states where the APC governors totaling 31 and other top brass of APC acted as coordinators and collation officers, Osifo scored zero.
Summarising the exercise, APC National Chairman, Nentewa Yilwatda, expressed happiness that the collation went smoothly and commended the agents for interrogating the figures.
“The agents have been challenging the results. It shows that APC is open when challenges arise, and mistakes were made. Corrections were done based on the suggestion of the representatives of the two aspirants.
“I am happy that this collation has gone smoothly with mutual respect from the two aspirants, and also the respect that every aspirant in the party has given to the party.
“At this defining moment, we have tidied up the collation. But let me thank the governors who were the returning officers of their states. Other people were selected to perform the function of returning officers of their states. Thank you so very much for the great job you have done, a sacrifice to the nation and to the party.
“At no cost to the party, you have done that. May God bless your efforts and what you have done for this great party,” he said.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has formally accepted the nomination to run for a second term in the 2027 presidential election, pledging to continue the “difficult but necessary” reforms that he says have steadied Nigeria’s economy and improved services while promising intensified action on security, education and infrastructure.
Speaking at the Bola Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja, Tinubu surrounded by his wife Oluremi, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, among others, framed his re-nomination as a call to consolidate gains, arguing that “continuity is essential—to consolidate reform, secure progress, and strengthen the foundation of a modern Nigeria.” He thanked party leaders and grassroots supporters and said he accepted the nomination “with humility and profound gratitude.”
On the economy, Tinubu credited his administration with structural reforms that he said has reversed earlier instability. “We moved away from wasteful fuel subsidies, unstable exchange rates and weak infrastructure. Today, we are witnessing a turnaround: the naira is strengthening, foreign reserves are rising and our economic outlook is positive,” he declared, while acknowledging inflationary pressures caused by global turmoil.
Tinubu highlighted achievements he said benefit young Nigerians. “We promised to remove the financial barriers to higher education for our youth. Today, we have established the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, with over N282 billion disbursed and over 1.5 million beneficiaries.” He also touted progress in power supply, saying his administration had “closed the metering gap by supplying 2.5 million meters via the Presidential Metering Initiative” and created “a N4 trillion bond programme to settle verified legacy debts owed to GENCOs and GASCOs.” He added that power generation “sometimes peaked at 6000MW, 50 per cent higher than we had inherited.”
On infrastructure and investment, Tinubu promised more durable projects, saying the government is “building concrete, durable roads and superhighways along the coast and on the Sokoto-Badagry route that will last for over 100 years,” and that reforms in oil and gas were attracting “billions of dollars in fresh investment.”
Security remained central to the pitch. Tinubu acknowledged persistent threats and pledged stronger responses: “I assure you that I take seriously the responsibility to safeguard the lives and property of every Nigerian. Our government has intensified efforts to strengthen our security architecture, support our brave armed forces and the police, and forge stronger partnerships with local communities.” He urged constitutional change to allow state police, saying he expects “the National Assembly to amend the Constitution to allow the creation of State police as a matter of national emergency.”
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President Tinubu said he harbours no ill will toward his lone primary challenger, Osifo, and signalled openness to engage critics and political opponents.
•No grudge
Speaking at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja after he was formally declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate for 2027 with 10.9 million votes, Tinubu framed democracy as a marketplace of ideas rather than uniform thinking.
“To those who despise our philosophy, we offer dialogue and engagement, not anger, confident that the sincerity of our purpose and the result of our work will speak for themselves,” he said.
Turning to Osifo and calling him by name, Tinubu added: “I owe you no grudge, including Osifo, who spent his money.”
Osifo, businessman from Edo State, paid N100 million for the APC presidential nomination form and maintained his candidacy after efforts to secure a consensus candidate fell through. He received 16,503 votes nationwide.
Tinubu reiterated that dissent is part of democratic life, not a danger to it. “You may be angry with our party, we don’t have to agree. Democracy is sustained not by uniformity but by diversity, by a shared belief in the nation, and the blending of ideas,” he said.
“To those who may disagree with us politically, we extend a hand of partnership in nation-building,” he said. “This next election must not merely be a contest of parties or ideas, but a reaffirmation of Nigeria’s democratic maturity.” He added, “Let’s not give in to complacency by allowing politicians with no clear alternative vision to take our country backwards.”
The president conceded living costs remain a concern: “Many Nigerians still struggle with rising costs and economic adjustment. We do not dismiss these concerns; we understand them and govern not in comfort, but in reality—with honesty and action.” He pledged to pursue policies that will deliver “economic expansion, industrialisation, energy security, infrastructure development, food sufficiency, and democratic consolidation.”
Tinubu said he accepted the APC ticket with a renewed resolve to serve our people and promised an inclusive government “that listens, learns, and leads with the best interests of all Nigerians at heart.”
He added: “Let us come together as Nigerians, from north to south, east to west, to consolidate our gains, tackle our challenges, and seize the promise of a greater tomorrow.”
•Osifo accepts result
Osifo has said he will continue to support the party and its presidential candidate. “I think God knows better, and God knows tomorrow,” Osifo told spoke to reporters immediately after results were collated and declared at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.
“I’m okay with the outcome of the results. And I’m working with the party, I’m working with the candidate of the party as well. I have no problem with it.”
Osifo said buying the N100 million nomination form and standing against Tinubu was not personal but part of a legitimate internal party process. “We are one party, we are members of the All Progressives Congress, we are one family,” he said.
“So we are not challenging ourselves. What we did was to have within ourselves who will become the candidate of the party. So where we are now, we have that already today.”
Responding to Tinubu’s public olive branch—when the president said he harboured no grudge towards Osifo said the sentiment was reciprocated.
“That is why we are working together. We are one party, so we must work together. Nobody is an island. Even if I had become the candidate today, I cannot work alone. I need a team. So offering an olive branch is something that everybody would want to support the president for.”
Osifo also thanked supporters and grassroots organisers who mobilised for his campaign. “My supporters that voted for me, including those clapping for me, I want to deeply express my gratitude to them. It’s not been an easy task. We have 36 states in Nigeria including the FCT, 37, and we have coordinators in all the states, in all the local governments, in all the wards. They have done marvellously well.”
Looking ahead, he said, “I am a very young man. I have a lot of years ahead of me, so it’s possible for things to happen. But I think God knows better, and God knows tomorrow. So let’s just hope on God and work as we move forward.”
Osifo had entered the race after a planned consensus deal fell through, becoming the only formal challenger to President Tinubu. He recorded zero votes in several states, including the FCT, Delta, Kogi, Ebonyi and Jigawa.
