Tinubu to sustain reforms after APC’s 10.9m votes

The All Progressives Congress (APC) announced President Bola Ahmed Tinubu secured 10,999,162 votes in its presidential primary, exceeding his 2023 election tally by 2.2 million. The vote count, released by Chairman Anyim Pius Anyim, faced skepticism from critics, including political economist Pat Utomi and Ohanaeze chieftain Goddy Uwazurike, who dismissed the figures as unrealistic and damaging to Nigeria’s democratic credibility ahead of the 2027 elections. Tinubu’s challenger, Stanley Osifo, received only 16,503 votes in the nationwide exercise. Despite the lack of serious opposition, critics argued the inflated numbers undermined transparency. Founding APC member Osita Okechukwu warned the president must address hunger, insecurity, and unemployment to improve the party’s chances in 2027. In his acceptance speech, Tinubu defended his administration’s reforms, including fuel subsidy removal, exchange rate adjustments, and infrastructure projects like highway construction and electricity metering rollouts. He cited the student loan scheme and renewed oil and gas investments as key achievements, though he acknowledged ongoing security challenges and economic hardship. The president emphasized that Nigeria must avoid reversing progress, pledging to deepen reforms, expand infrastructure, and tackle insecurity in a second term. He insisted the economic gains—such as stabilized exchange rates and improved revenue—outweighed current hardships, urging Nigerians to support his vision. The APC has set deadlines for releasing primary and by-election results, though concerns over vote credibility persist. Analysts fear the inflated primary figures could erode trust in Nigeria’s electoral process before 2027.