APC Begins Vote Count, Confirms Tinubu as 2027 Candidate

*TL;DR: The APC has started tallying votes from its 2027 presidential primary, confirming Bola Tinubu as the party’s nominee while dismissing circulating videos as unrelated footage from years ago.

Context The All Progressives Congress convened at the Bola Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja to begin the official collation of primary results. Governors from ten states, former Senate presidents, and senior lawmakers attended, underscoring the event’s national significance.

Key Facts - Voting concluded in 8,809 wards across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, the widest reach for any APC primary to date. - National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda said the party’s internal mechanisms have already resolved disputes from the primaries, describing competition as a sign of strength. - Yilwatda also addressed viral videos that alleged vote‑count manipulation, stating the clips were three to four years old, lacked APC banners and membership cards, and therefore did not pertain to the current primary. - Party officials highlighted the high turnout of registered members who purchased expression of interest forms, interpreting the numbers as a “mock demonstration” of the 2027 general election. - Former Senate presidents Ken Nnamani and Pius Anyim were present, and Pius Anyim, who chairs the results committee, called the exercise “too big and challenging” to manage, reflecting the scale of participation.

What It Means The early confirmation of Tinubu’s candidacy gives the APC a clear focal point for the next two years of campaigning. By publicly refuting the miscount videos, the party aims to pre‑empt credibility attacks ahead of the general election. The extensive ward‑level voting and reported thousands of form purchases suggest robust grassroots engagement, which the APC will likely leverage as evidence of electoral dominance. Watch for how opposition parties respond to the APC’s narrative and whether any legal challenges arise over the primary process as the 2027 election draws nearer.