Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has just concluded a direct primary that produced President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election, with the party announcing a staggering 10,999,162 “yes‑votes” nationwide. Yet less than 24 hours after the result was released, a powerful voice from the opposition has risen to challenge its veracity. Former Vice‑President Atiku Abubakar, who is himself seeking the ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), told journalists on Monday in Yola that the figure was “manufactured” and warned Nigerians not to be deceived.
Atiku made the remarks immediately after casting his own vote at the ADC presidential primary at his Ajiya Ward in Yola North Local Government Area of Adamawa State on Monday, 25 May 2026. When asked whether Tinubu’s overwhelming tally had demoralised the ADC camp, the former vice‑president was blunt. “It is a lie. The figures were merely written,” he said. “The numbers being announced are not a threat to us in the ADC. The votes allegedly secured by Tinubu were written and fabricated. They do not represent reality”. He explained that, in his view, a small group simply sat down and produced the number, and he accused the ruling party of using the exercise as a dress rehearsal for the kind of rigging it intends to deploy in the 2027 general election.
The APC primary was held on Saturday, 23 May 2026, across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. According to the party’s Presidential Primary Election Committee, chaired by former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim, Tinubu defeated his only challenger, businessman Stanley Osifo, by a vote of 10,999,162 to 16,503. The president’s tally exceeded his own winning votes in the 2023 general election by more than 2.2 million. While the ruling party described the exercise as transparent and a testament to Tinubu’s popularity, critics – including Atiku – have pointed to the sheer scale of the number as a sign that the process was a “coronation” rather than a genuine electoral contest.
Atiku was not alone in voicing scepticism. His media adviser, Paul Ibe, took to X (formerly Twitter) to compare the APC’s vote‑counting unfavourably with the ADC’s ongoing presidential primary, describing the APC exercise as “abracadabra vote count” and “inflated votes that are a dress rehearsal to seek for its rigging strategy”. The ADC itself, through its National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, issued a formal statement calling Tinubu’s claim of 10.99 million votes an “unbelievable concoction” and warned that the ruling party was preparing the ground to manipulate the 2027 polls. “The figure is a direct plot to rig the 2027 general elections and must be resisted,” the party declared.
At the same press briefing, Atiku dismissed concerns about the internal disputes that have rocked the ADC, insisting that the party would overcome its challenges and present a united front. He described intra‑party disagreements as “the beauty of democracy” and expressed confidence that the ADC would win the 2027 election convincingly. He also repeated his call for Nigerians to vote wisely and to use the next general election to remove President Tinubu from power, accusing the administration of “maladministration and insensitivity to the plight of the teeming electorate”.
The APC primary, which was conducted under a direct voting system for the first time in the party’s history, has drawn mixed reactions from across the political spectrum. Some party leaders hailed the turnout as a strong endorsement of the president’s reforms, while other observers – including political economist Pat Utomi and Ohanaeze chieftain Goddy Uwazurike – described the 10.9‑million figure as “unrealistic and dangerous for Nigeria’s democracy”. Critics have noted that the president’s challenger, Stanley Osifo, polled only 16,503 votes across the entire country, a number that in itself raises questions about the competitive nature of the exercise. Osifo, however, has since accepted defeat and pledged to support Tinubu’s second‑term bid.
The former vice‑president, who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in 2019 and 2023, has since aligned with the ADC as part of a broader realignment of opposition forces. The ADC’s presidential primary, which is being held simultaneously in the 8,809 wards of the country, features three main aspirants: Atiku himself, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and economist Mohammed Hayatu‑Deen. The outcome of that primary is expected to be announced later this week.
For the ruling APC, the controversy over the vote count is unlikely to derail its preparations for 2027, but it has already given opposition parties a potent line of attack. Atiku ended his remarks with an appeal to the electorate: “My message to Nigerians is to vote for the ADC. Any other party aside from the ADC will only worsen their hardship”. As the nation turns its attention to the upcoming general election, the war of words over the credibility of internal party polls has only just begun.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments