President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday tightened his grip on the presidential ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress after sweeping votes in multiple states during the ongoing party primary election, while his sole challenger, businessman Stanley Osifo, failed to secure a single vote in at least 12 states announced during the collation exercise in Abuja.
The atmosphere at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in the Federal Capital Territory remained charged as delegates, party officials, governors and supporters gathered for the formal collation of results from across the federation. One after another, state collation officers mounted the podium to announce figures that consistently favoured the incumbent president, reinforcing the dominance of Tinubu within the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general election.
By the time results from the Federal Capital Territory, Delta, Kogi, Ebonyi, Kwara, Borno, Kebbi, Edo, Enugu, Katsina, Kaduna and Jigawa states had been announced, Stanley Osifo had recorded zero votes in all the listed states, while Tinubu secured every valid vote cast.
The development further underscored the enormous influence of the president within the APC structure, with party stakeholders openly describing the exercise as a demonstration of unity and continuity within the ruling party.
In the FCT, where former senator Philip Aduda served as the collation officer, the president secured all 36,103 votes cast by delegates, leaving no room for his challenger to make any impact.
Aduda, while presenting the figures before the Presidential Primary Elections Committee, declared that the process in the territory was peaceful and orderly. The announcement immediately triggered loud celebrations from delegates and party loyalists inside the conference centre, many of whom waved party flags and chanted solidarity songs in support of the president.
Similar scenes played out as results from other states were announced.
In Delta State, Tinubu swept the ballots overwhelmingly, while Osifo again recorded zero. The same outcome emerged in Kogi, Ebonyi and Kwara states, where delegates voted unanimously for the incumbent.
The pattern continued in the northern states of Borno, Kebbi, Katsina, Kaduna and Jigawa, where Tinubu also secured total votes cast without opposition support.
Political observers at the venue noted that the results reflected months of strategic consultations, endorsements and political alignments that had strengthened Tinubu’s standing within the APC.
Several governors serving as collation officers praised delegates for what they described as a transparent and credible process. Many of them also commended the president’s leadership and economic reforms, insisting that the party needed continuity to consolidate ongoing programmes.
Party supporters who thronged the conference venue said the outcome did not come as a surprise, arguing that
Tinubu remained the most influential political figure within the APC.
One delegate from the North-West described the result as “a vote of confidence” in the president’s administration.
According to him, many party members believe Tinubu deserves another term to complete ongoing reforms and infrastructure projects across the country.
Another delegate from the South-South said the president’s political machinery within the APC had become too formidable for any internal challenger to overcome.
“He has the governors, the structures and the majority of stakeholders behind him. The results only reflect what has been obvious for months,” the delegate stated.
For Stanley Osifo, however, the outcome represented a major setback in his attempt to challenge the incumbent president within the party.
Little-known within mainstream APC power blocs before the primary, Osifo had entered the race promising to offer delegates an alternative vision focused on economic inclusion, business expansion and youth empowerment.
Despite his campaign rhetoric, the businessman struggled to gain traction among influential party stakeholders and failed to secure endorsements from major APC figures across the country.
Political analysts believe his inability to win even a symbolic number of votes in the announced states highlights the overwhelming control Tinubu currently enjoys within the ruling party.
The primary exercise also demonstrated the continued influence of APC governors in determining the direction of the party ahead of national elections.
Many of the governors openly backed Tinubu before the exercise, with several state chapters endorsing him weeks earlier.
Inside the conference hall, chants of “No vacancy in Aso Rock” and “Four more years” repeatedly echoed as delegates celebrated the announcement of each result.
Security remained tight around the venue, with operatives stationed at strategic points to maintain order throughout the collation process.
Senior party officials insisted the exercise would strengthen APC’s preparations for the 2027 presidential election, expressing confidence that the party would head into the polls united behind Tinubu.
As collation continued late into Sunday, expectations remained high that more states would deliver similar outcomes for the incumbent president, further cementing his position as the APC’s standard bearer for the next presidential contest.
