KEY POINTS

• Tinubu won the APC presidential primary with about 11 million votes.
• He pledged four more years of reform and an “irreversible” economic path.
• He acknowledged the hardship from his 2023 subsidy and currency reforms.

President Bola Tinubu has promised to set Nigeria on an “irreversible path of economic expansion” if voters grant him a second term, hours after he swept the APC presidential primary. Tinubu made the pledge in his acceptance speech in Abuja on Sunday. Moreover, he framed the 2027 election as a test of the country’s democratic maturity.

A landslide in the APC presidential primary

Tinubu won the APC presidential primary by a vast margin, polling 10,999,162 votes against the 16,503 of his sole challenger, businessman Stanley Osifo. The committee chairman, Senator Pius Anyim, announced the results. Afterward, APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda handed Tinubu the party flag and certificate of return. The lopsided outcome confirmed the president’s firm grip on the ruling party, where no heavyweight chose to challenge him. The APC ran a direct primary, which let registered members vote nationwide.

In accepting the nomination, Tinubu thanked party members and renewed his development promises. Specifically, he pledged progress on industrialization, energy security, infrastructure and food production. “With another four years of discipline, focus and national cooperation, we will firmly place Nigeria on an irreversible path of economic expansion,” he said.

‘I asked for this job’

The president also addressed the pain his reforms have caused. He removed the fuel subsidy and floated the naira in 2023, and both moves drove up prices. The subsidy’s removal roughly tripled petrol prices, while the naira’s float sharply weakened the currency and fueled double-digit inflation. However, Tinubu said he shared the hardship. “If you lost sleep, I lost some too. If you have lost weight, I think I have lost some too,” he said.

Tinubu argued that he could not abandon the task. Indeed, he recalled seeking the presidency in 2022. “I asked for this job, you all supported me, and I got it, so I must do it,” he said. Therefore, he cast a second term as a duty to finish what he started.

Reforms and promises for a second term

Tinubu pointed to several programs as proof of progress. According to him, the government has disbursed more than ₦282 billion to about 1.5 million students under its loan scheme. Additionally, he cited tax reforms and infrastructure projects across the country.

Looking ahead, the president promised steadier electricity, more opportunities for young people and businesses, and a tougher fight against banditry. Meanwhile, he urged Nigerians not to grow complacent or back politicians who lack clear plans. Opposition figures, including Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, are meanwhile building a rival coalition for 2027.

Nigeria is due to hold its general election in early 2027, and Tinubu now carries the ruling party’s banner into that race. His first term has rested on painful but, he argues, necessary reforms, and his second-term pitch leans on the promise that the worst is over. The vote, Tinubu said, must reaffirm Nigeria’s democratic maturity.