The road to Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election has begun to take shape — and for the All Progressives Congress (APC), the message from party faithful across the country was loud, coordinated, and unmistakable.
From the bustling wards of Lagos to the remote corners of the North-East, millions of APC members turned out on Saturday, May 23, 2026, for the party’s nationwide direct presidential primary, delivering President Bola Tinubu a sweeping mandate to fly the party’s flag once again.
By the time the votes from all 8,809 wards and 774 local government areas were collated in Abuja, the scale of the victory had become impossible to ignore.
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At the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Chairman of the APC Presidential Primaries Election Committee, Pius Anyim, formally announced the outcome of the exercise.
“I am also to confirm that there were two aspirants to the APC 2026 presidential primary elections, i.e., the incumbent president, President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and Mr. Stanley Osifo,” Anyim said.
He added, “Mr. President, across the country, a total number of 12,643,306 registered voters were registered in our party.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, received a total number of 10,999,162 votes. Mr. Stanley Osifo received a total of 16,503 votes.”
Then came the formal declaration that sealed Tinubu’s return as the APC’s standard bearer for the 2027 election.
“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, it is therefore my duty as a returning officer for this primary election to declare President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, having satisfied the requirements of the APC constitutions and guidelines, and scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared the winner of the presidential primary election, and returned as the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the 2027 general elections,” Anyim declared.
Moments later, Tinubu received the APC flag and certificate of return from National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda, officially setting the stage for another presidential contest.
But beyond the numbers and ceremony, the President used the moment to frame the election as a referendum on his administration’s reforms and long-term plans for the country.
“Thank you all of you. You changed the landscape, looking at the figure that you returned,” Tinubu told party supporters.
The President acknowledged the hardship that has accompanied some of his administration’s reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and foreign exchange adjustments introduced in 2023.
“You have given me the encouragement. Sometimes it is difficult, and I share the pain with you. I know what it is to reform an economy that was in tatters. If you lost sleep, I lost some too.
“If you have lost weight, I think I have lost some too. But I have always remembered one thing: in 2022, I asked for this job, you all supported me, and I got it, so I must do it,” he said.
Tinubu also used the occasion to project what another four years under his leadership would look like.
“In accepting this nomination, I renew my commitment to serve our nation with even greater determination.
“With another four years of discipline, focus and national cooperation, we will firmly place Nigeria on an irreversible path of economic expansion, industrialisation, energy security, infrastructural development, food sovereignty and democratic consolidation,” he said.
Security also featured prominently in the President’s speech amid rising concerns over attacks and banditry in parts of the country.
“I must acknowledge the security challenges confronting us in many parts of our beloved nation. I assure you that I take seriously the responsibility of safeguarding the lives and property of every Nigerian.
“We will win the battle against banditry. We will not rest until we restore peace and stability to every corner of our country,” Tinubu said.
As the APC closes ranks behind its candidate, attention is now expected to shift toward the broader political battlefield, where Tinubu is likely to face opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, both of whom retain significant support bases ahead of the 2027 race.
