Tinubu Officially Declared APC 2027 Presidential Candidate in Abuja

ABUJA — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been formally declared the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections. The party’s Presidential Primary Election Committee presented him with a Certificate of Return at a ceremony held at the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja on Sunday.

The declaration followed the nationwide direct primary election conducted on Saturday, May 23, across all 8,809 APC wards. Tinubu received overwhelming support, defeating his sole challenger, businessman Stanley Osifo, by massive margins in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Final collated results showed Tinubu polling millions of votes nationwide. Osifo, who purchased the N100 million nomination form to enter the race, received zero votes in several states including Ogun, where the tally showed Tinubu at 322,485 and Osifo at zero across every local government.

Accepting the certificate, Tinubu thanked APC members for their confidence. He said his second-term agenda will focus on completing the economic reforms he began in 2023 and building security infrastructure to protect all Nigerians. “We are just getting started. The best of Nigeria is ahead of us,” Tinubu said.

Party Consolidation

APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda said the primary results demonstrate the party’s internal strength. He said the massive turnout across wards reflects genuine grassroots support and positions the APC well for a competitive 2027 campaign.

Several APC governors spoke at the ceremony. Jigawa Governor Umar Namadi pledged to deliver over one million votes for Tinubu in 2027. Kano Deputy Governor Murtala Garo described the primary turnout as a reflection of Nigerians’ renewed faith in democracy and constitutional governance.

Health Minister Ali Pate used the occasion to call for APC unity and reconciliation following the contentious governorship and legislative primaries in several states. He said internal divisions must be resolved before the party can mount an effective 2027 campaign.

Opposition Reaction

Opposition parties responded with scepticism to the primary results. Several described the exercise as a formality rather than a genuine democratic contest. They said a primary in which a challenger receives zero votes in multiple states does not reflect authentic internal competition.

However, the APC dismissed the criticism. Party officials said the results reflect the genuine popularity of a president whose reforms are beginning to yield results. They said the opposition should focus on organising its own credible primary processes before commenting on others.

The formal declaration of Tinubu’s candidacy sets the stage for what is expected to be Nigeria’s most competitive election since 1999. The opposition has until the end of May to complete its own primaries and submit candidates to INEC. The official 2027 campaign season is expected to begin in the second half of 2026.