President Bola Tinubu voted at his home ward in Lagos on Saturday during the APC’s landmark nationwide direct primaries, seizing the moment to commend state governors for the smooth conduct of the exercise.
Speaking to journalists after voting at Ward L2 in Eti-Osa Local Government Area, where the exercise took place at Ireti Nursery and Primary School, Mekwen Street, off Queens Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos, a visibly satisfied president told reporters the primaries were a testament to the health of internal democracy within the APC.
“This is a demonstration of internal democracy, and it’s been going very well according to plan,” Tinubu declared. “This is grassroots politics, where every member of the party has the right to participate and be involved.”
The president did not mince words in commending the performance of APC governors across the federation, stating that from ward-level congresses to local government exercises and the accreditation of delegates, the process had unfolded without major incident. “I’m very satisfied with the process to date, and these governors have done well in their various states. At least, you will score democracy at a high level,” he said.
The endorsement carries particular weight given the scale of what the party has undertaken. The APC is conducting the direct primary across all 8,809 wards in the country, a logistical undertaking requiring the coordinated deployment of party officials, security personnel, and electoral materials across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The party appointed former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim as chairman of the Presidential Primary Election Committee and assigned top political figures and governors as coordinators in different states to ensure the smooth conduct of the primary.
The results from Lagos were swift and lopsided. At his home ward, Tinubu polled 4,996 votes out of 5,163 accredited voters, a near-total sweep that underscored his unassailable grip on his political base. Prominent party leaders monitoring the exercise included Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and former Minister of Finance Wale Edun.
The story was similar elsewhere across the country. In Kebbi State, APC members turned out in large numbers in support of the president, with Governor Nasir Idris joining the queue at his polling unit. The governor’s unit alone recorded 5,652 votes in Tinubu’s favor.
Saturday’s primary is not happening in a vacuum. It is the dramatic culmination of months of internal party maneuvering ahead of the 2027 general elections. As recently as Wednesday, May 20, APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda met with Tinubu in Lagos, briefing the president on the conduct of the party’s nationwide primaries and ongoing internal consensus-building efforts—a signal that, despite the democratic optics, the party’s leadership was leaving nothing to chance.
The APC’s National Working Committee had, at its 188th meeting, waived the screening requirement for President Tinubu, deeming him already screened ahead of the presidential primary, citing his appearance at the 2022 APC presidential primary.
Critics have questioned whether such procedural accommodations dilute the very democratic spirit Tinubu spoke of on Saturday, though the presidency and party leadership have defended the waivers as constitutionally grounded.
The APC presidential ticket for the 2027 general election is being contested by the incumbent president and businessman Sterlyn Osifo, making this the rare spectacle of a sitting Nigerian president submitting to a direct membership ballot, at least in form.
Tinubu had earlier framed the primaries not merely as exercises to produce standard-bearers but as “a referendum on unity, resilience, and strength” for the party. He cautioned against divisive politics and warned that the party could not afford to conduct activities capable of undermining internal cohesion or weakening Nigeria’s democratic process, urging winners not to gloat over victory while unsuccessful aspirants demonstrate sportsmanship and remain committed to the party.
With results from across the federation expected to be collated and presented to the Presidential Primary Election Committee in Abuja on Sunday, the political chapter that officially opens Tinubu’s campaign for a second term is all but written.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
President Tinubu cast his ballot in Lagos on Saturday as the APC conducted direct presidential primaries across all 8,809 wards nationwide, praising state governors for a process he described as a strong demonstration of internal democracy.
He secured a near-total sweep in his home ward with 4,996 out of 5,163 votes, while large turnouts were recorded in other states.
