The former Lagos State Governor, Chief Bola Tinubu, was on Wednesday in Abuja declared the winner of the presidential primary elections of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Tinubu garnered 1,299 votes, while his major opponents, the former Governor of Rivers State and Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi and the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo secured 292 and 216 votes respectively.
More than 2,322 delegates from across the country participated in the primary election for 23 presidential aspirants from the APC for the 2023 general elections.
In his acceptance speech, Tinubu said that the party’s convention should be recorded as a shining moment in the evolution of the party and the life of the nation.
“I must thank you all for making me the standard bearer of our progressive party. And I humbly accept the nomination of this convention to be the presidential candidate of our enlightened, humanitarian and great party, the All Progressives Congress.
“I also offer my sincere gratitude to President Buhari for his calm and prudent leadership throughout this process. I thank him, also, for his steadfast determination to ensure a level playing field and a free and fair primary process for every aspirant. Without him, I would not be standing here today as the new flagbearer of Nigeria’s party.
“I thank the governors for their invaluable contribution to internal democracy and unity,” he said.
Tinubu will face Nigeria’s former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who had been voted in May as the flagbearer of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other party candidates for the top political office in Nigeria in the forthcoming 2023 elections.
GIK/APA