Olushola Omogbehin
President Bola Tinubu has emerged the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary election with 10,999,967 votes to defeat his only challenger, Stanley Osifo.
Speaking while accepting the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket for the 2027 election on Sunday, Tinubu acknowledged the hardship caused by his administration’s economic reforms, maintaining that the burden of the past three years has affected him personally, just as it has affected many Nigerians.
Tinubu told leaders at the Bola Tinubu International Conference Centre venue of the event that rebuilding an economy he inherited in distress has come at a heavy cost for both citizens and his administration.
“I know what it takes to reform this nation we met in tatters. If you lost sleep, I’ve lost some too. If you’ve lost weight, I’ve lost some too,” the President said.
“But I’ve always remembered one thing: in 2022, I asked for this job. You all supported me and I got it. So I must do it.”
Accepting his nomination with profound humility and gratitude, Tinubu pledged to continue the work of economic restructuring and national reform if returned to office in 2027.
He said he monitored the conduct of the party’s direct primary after casting his vote in Lagos on Saturday and was confidence with the peaceful outcome.
“I was glued to the television after voting. I saw the mammoth crowd in Kano and Kaduna, the city boy walking the streets of Calabar,” he said.
“It was a good feeling to see that there was no bloodshed, no rancour. This is politics in earnest. This is where we want Nigeria, facing one focus.”
The primary was conducted across the country’s 774 local government areas and 8,809 wards on Saturday with Tinubu polling 10,999,162 votes against his sole rival, Stanley Osifo, who scored 16,503 votes.
