Veteran journalist and former presidential aide, Reuben Abati, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has proven himself to be “the owner of the game” following the outcome of the APC presidential primary.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Monday, Abati said Tinubu’s reported 11 million votes in the party primary sent a strong political message to opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general election.
“I think we should get to a point in this country where we should start a Tinubu school of politics and strategy, because what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done over the weekend is to show that he’s the owner of the game,” Abati said.
He noted that Tinubu’s challenger, Stanley Osifo, reportedly secured just over 1,000 votes compared to the president’s over 11 million votes, describing the outcome as a “demonstration effect” to opposition figures such as Atiku Abubakar and other contenders.
According to Abati, the implication is that opposition parties would now have to secure more votes than the figures already recorded for Tinubu within his own party.
However, the journalist also questioned the credibility of the voting figures, pointing out that basic vote counting appeared difficult during some APC primaries held over the weekend.
“And yet during the various events that you have seen over the weekend, to even count 1,2,3, basic arithmetic, which you start primary school with, was a problem for that particular political party,” he said.
