How Bola Tinubu won the APC presidential primaries with 1271 votes

Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been confirmed the winner of the presidential primary of the All Progressive Congress, with a final vote count of 1271 delegates’ votes.

The final vote count was confirmed at around 14:10 pm Abuja time at the Eagles Square after a rigorous voting and collation process that resumed by 3am on Wednesday morning.

Tinubu was trailed by former Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi with 316 votes and Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo with 235 votes.

The initial support

Before the voting process commenced, the former governor of Akwa Ibom, Godswill Akpabio; former Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; current Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi and former Speaker of House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole stepped down for the former Lagos State governor, a major contender in the party’s presidential race.

Senator Akpabio explained that he took the decision to step down for the APC chieftain in the interest of the party and the nation, and asked his supporters to pitch their tents with the former Lagos State governor.

What Tinubu is saying

Tinubu, during his speech at the congress promised to fight terrorism to the very end if elected as the 16th President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

• He said, “I will fight terrorism and insecurity to the very end and erase terror from our land. My experience as Executive Governor of Lagos makes me unique among other aspirants. I am competent to start from day one.
• “Here comes a time in a nation when the hopes of the moment. Let not the destiny of this land be stolen because we did not do what was meant for us to do at this critical moment. Remember, we formed this party not simply to wrest power from a wrong and failing PDP.
• “We formed this party to give the people of this land the progressive good governance they deserve so that they may live as well and as peacefully as any people on the face of this earth. This corrective journey began with the election of President Muhammadu Buhari. At this convention, we must take the next step toward the proper and necessary direction.”

With his emergence as the APC presidential flagbearer, Tinubu will dig it out with candidates of other parties including Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party for a chance to be elected as the nation’s president in next year’s general election.

How the delegates voted:

• Bola Ahmed Tinubu received 1271 votes
• Ahmed Lawan – 152 votes
• Rochas Okorocha – 0 vote
• Tunde Bakare – 0 vote
• Ben Ayade – 37 votes
• Yahaya Bello – 47 votes
• Yemi Osinbajo – 235 votes
• Rotimi Ameachi – 316 votes