President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has emerged as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 general election after securing a landslide victory in the party’s presidential primary election.

Chairman and Returning Officer of the APC Presidential Primary Election Committee, former President of the Senate, Pius Anyim, who announced the results at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, said the exercise was successfully conducted across the 36 states of the federation, 774 local government areas and 8,809 wards nationwide.

Senator Anyim said two aspirants contested the primary election, the incumbent President, Tinubu, and Mr. Stanley Osifo.

According to him, a total of 12,643,306 party members were registered for the exercise, while 11,069,756 voters were accredited to participate in the nationwide primary.

He further disclosed that 11,015,665 accredited members eventually cast their votes during the exercise.

Announcing the final results, the returning officer said Tinubu polled 10,999,162 votes to defeat his challenger by a wide margin, while Osifo secured 16,503 votes.

“It is therefore my duty as the Returning Officer for this primary election to declare President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, having satisfied the requirements of the APC constitution and guidelines and scored the highest number of votes, as the winner of the primary election and elected as the party’s presidential candidate,” he declared.

The announcement was greeted with loud applause and chants from party members and supporters at the venue.

Earlier, National Chairman of the APC, Nentawe Yilwatda, commended party members and stakeholders for what he described as the peaceful, transparent and well-coordinated conduct of the primary elections across the country.

Speaking after the exercise, Yilwatda said the primaries reflected the party’s commitment to internal democracy and inclusive participation, noting that the process was widely publicised nationwide to ensure credibility and public confidence.

According to him, the party leadership worked closely with state chapters and technical committees to guarantee a transparent system that allowed members to actively participate in the electoral process.

He added that the APC ensured broad media coverage of the exercise, including live updates from representatives at various centres, to demonstrate openness and accountability in the conduct of the primaries.

The APC chairman also praised members of the electoral and transition committees for their cooperation, preparation and dedication throughout the exercise, saying their efforts contributed significantly to the smooth conduct of the process.

Yilwatda further appreciated party leaders and stakeholders across the states for maintaining unity and discipline, stressing that the successful conduct of the primaries had further strengthened confidence in the APC’s democratic structures and leadership.

President Tinubu had arrived at the venue of the collation exercise at the International Conference Centre to a rousing reception from party supporters chanting the popular slogan, “On your mandate we shall stand.”

He was received by Vice President Kashim Shettima and accompanied by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, alongside other party leaders and dignitaries.

Following the announcement of the results by Anyim, supporters broke into songs and celebration, chanting, “Stand up for the champion.”