Saturday’s presidential primary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has sparked widespread controversy after bizarre vote tallies and videos from some polling centres triggered accusations of possible “rehearsals” for electoral manipulation ahead of the 2027 general election.
Although President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was widely expected to defeat his sole challenger, Stanley Osifo, the staggering figures allocated to him in several states, alongside viral clips showing questionable counting patterns, have ignited heated reactions across social media.
In some of the widely circulated videos, officials counting members on queues appeared to jump abruptly from figures in the 90s to hundreds and even thousands within seconds, leaving many Nigerians stunned.
Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong was among those who criticised the exercise.
“The APC is experimenting their 2027 rigging plans by declaring bogus and fake votes from their primaries,” he wrote on X.
A United Kingdom-based doctor and social media commentator, OurFaveOnlineDoc, also questioned the credibility of the figures announced from some states.
“In 2023, these are the presidential election results in Imo State: Atiku – about 30,000; Tinubu – about 66,000; Obi – about 350,000,” he wrote.
“Today this satanic APC is allocating about 582,000 votes to Tinubu in a primary. This 582,000 votes is more than all the votes cast in the 2023 presidential election in Imo. Think about that.
“When I told you APC is just magically manufacturing numbers in their primaries, some of you think we just hate Tinubu.
“If the opposition don’t challenge these numbers now, these are the numbers they will use to rig massively and rig criminally in 2027. Go write this down. You will say I said so.”
Another X user, Queen Bee, reacting to one of the counting videos from Abia State, alleged that the ruling party was rehearsing voter manipulation techniques ahead of the next election cycle.
“This was how Tinubu scored over 400k votes in Abia State,” she wrote.
“Listen to it, 1, 2, 3…7, 90, 91…97, 1,000…
“The APC is rehearsing how they’ll manufacture votes for Tinubu in 2027.
“There must be plans to counter this rubbish at polling units and collation centres.”
The controversy came even as the APC formally ratified Tinubu as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election following an overwhelmingly one-sided primary conducted across the country’s 8,809 wards.
The President swept aside his only challenger, Stanley Osifo, with landslide victories announced in virtually all the states where results were declared.
The exercise, which many party leaders had earlier framed as a mere affirmation process after endorsements from governors, the National Executive Committee, National Working Committee, and other party organs, effectively became a nationwide endorsement rally for the President’s second-term ambition.
After casting his vote at his polling unit in Ward L2, Ikoyi, Lagos, Tinubu described the exercise as evidence of the party’s commitment to internal democracy.
“This is a demonstration of internal democracy,” the President said after voting alongside the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
“This is politics; grassroots politics, where every member of the party has a right to participate and be involved. It’s to ensure that we have internal democracy, and it’s peaceful and well-organised.”
Also speaking, APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, described the exercise as peaceful and transparent.
“Party members were happy to go out and vote for the aspirant of their choice,” Basiru said.
“Results have been collated in all the 774 wards and also across the 36 states and the FCT.
“From what I have seen so far in terms of images, it’s going to be a landslide victory for President Bola Tinubu.”
Across several states, huge figures were announced for the President.
In Bayelsa State, Tinubu polled 277,192 votes, while Osifo reportedly secured just five votes.
Governor Douye Diri, who announced the result, said the process was peaceful and conducted in accordance with party guidelines.
Tinubu secured 39,454 votes in Brass, 45,949 in Ekeremor, 22,593 in Kolokuma/Opokuma, 32,487 in Nembe, 24,896 in Ogbia, 46,283 in Sagbama, 74,136 in Southern Ijaw, and 30,834 in Yenagoa.
In Abia State, former governor and senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, led party members in endorsing Tinubu at Igbere Ward A in Bende Local Government Area.
At Bende, hometown of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, over 13,000 APC members reportedly queued in support of the President, while Osifo scored no vote.
In Edo State, Governor Monday Okpebholo announced that Tinubu secured 131,096 votes, while Osifo got one vote.
Similarly, in Rivers State, Governor Siminalayi Fubara declared that Tinubu polled 280,082 votes, while his challenger recorded zero.
Fubara insisted that the figures were painstakingly verified before certification.
In Gombe State, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya announced that Tinubu secured 450,517 votes, with Osifo polling zero.
In Osun State, Tinubu received 100,880 votes across the 332 wards, while Osifo failed to record any vote.
In Kebbi State, the President polled 5,652 votes in Governor Nasir Idris’s Nassarawa II Ward in Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area.
Kaduna, Plateau, Oyo and several other states also recorded overwhelming victories for the President amid large turnouts by party supporters.
As the APC consolidated around Tinubu, the opposition African Democratic Congress continued grappling with internal disagreements over its own presidential ticket ahead of its primary scheduled for Monday.
Former APC National Chairman, John Oyegun, who chairs the ADC Policy and Manifesto Committee, said the party still preferred a consensus arrangement but would proceed with direct primaries if negotiations among aspirants failed.
“Consensus will save us valuable time,” Oyegun said.
“But if the aspirants fail to agree, we will follow what the law says.”
Among those contesting the ADC ticket are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Rivers governor Rotimi Amaechi, and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
Amaechi has already declared that he would not step down for anyone.
“I am not stepping down for anyone. Let the people decide who they want to lead,” he said.
Meanwhile, ADC chieftain Timothy Osadolor urged Atiku to pursue negotiations towards consensus, warning that a bruising internal contest could weaken the opposition ahead of 2027.