President Muhammadu Buhari polled a total of 14, 842, 072 votes during the All Progressives Congress direct Presidential primary conducted across the 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory to emerge as the APC presidential candidate for the 2019 presidential election.
Of this number, Kano and Lagos states accounted for a combined total of 5,148,957 votes while Abia State produced the least number of votes with a total of 043,308 votes from party members.
Governor-elect of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, who served as the returning officer, announced this early Sunday morning during the National Convention of the party held at Eagle Square, Abuja.
After announcing the figure, he asked delegates to affirm President Buhari as the party’s candidate for the 2019 Presidential elections via voice vote.
He said, “Do you affirm Muhammadu Buhari as our candidate for the 2019 presidential election? The delegates shouted ‘Yes”.
Soon afterwards, Fayemi said, “Muhammadu Buhari is hereby declared the winner of the presidential primary and is, therefore, the Presidential candidate of the APC for the 2019 presidential election”.
Earlier, the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, said with President Buhari as the party’s candidate, the APC was now ready for the 2019 election.
He said this in his address of welcome at the convention on Saturday.
Oshiomhole said the President had given a good account of himself as a leader who leads by example.
In a veiled reference to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, Oshiomhole said, unlike the PDP which printed only “one presidential form and came up with two million signatures from unverified individuals (in 2015)”, the APC chose the direct primary method which was more democratic because it gave all the registered party members a true sense of participation.
Oshiomhole said, “The other party is choosing its candidate in Port Harcourt, we will look at the records of the opponent, we will look at his pedigree, we will challenge them on their track records. We are ready for the 2019 elections.”
He also dismissed claims by members of the opposition PDP that the anti-graft war being fought by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration was selective.
He said, as a sitting governor then, he was denied the use of a public airport.
He also said, “Mr President, sometimes I feel you are too mild. I was under threat of impeachment; I had to remove the roof of my House of Assembly in order to survive.
“One of your predecessors used seven people to remove a sitting governor. I am not in any way suggesting that you do the same.”
Also speaking during the event, the Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, assured the party and the President that party members were ready to defend and protect the party’s policies and programmes in the National Assembly.
In his acceptance speech, President Buhari paid glowing tributes to the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu and the pioneer Interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, for their contributions to the formation and sustenance of the party.
Buhari said, “I would like to pay tribute to Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande, the first chairman of our great party, and to Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, who led the party until this year and all the APC governors.
“The result of the presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress this time is different because I am the only candidate. I thank all other eligible aspirants who deferred to me in the interest of our party’s unity and over-all national stability.
“Fellow party members, it is with a deep sense of humility that I stand before you today to accept the nomination of our party, the All Progressives Congress, to be its candidate in the 2019 presidential election.
“As I stand today before you, there is no honour greater than the confidence given to me by all of you when you affirmed my nomination. I thank you for your support. I thank you for your guidance. I thank you for staying committed to the change agenda.
“I accept this honour as a tribute and mark of confidence to carry the responsibility as we all join hands to continue the good work of the APC government to 2023 and beyond.”
He also listed his administration’s achievements in the areas of security, agriculture and the economy. The president also used the occasion to taunt the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.
He said for 16 years that the PDP was in power and the nation made so much money from the sale of crude oil, there was nothing to show for it. He enjoined Nigerians to ask the party, “What did they do with your money?”
The breakdown of votes cast per state as released by the committee is as follows:
Zamfara, 247, 847; FCT, 054,128; Sokoto, 330,091; Taraba, 139,102; Yobe, 199,414; Osun, 512,013; Oyo, 421,200; Plateau, 123, 073; Rivers, 388, 653; Imo, 150,830; Jigawa, 202,599; Kaduna, 579, 209; Kano, 2,931,235; Katsina, 802, 819; Kebbi, 210, 687; Kogi, 87, 003; Kwara, 159,822; and Lagos, 2,217,722.
Others are Nasarawa, 110,879; Delta, 132,985; Ebonyi, 157,455; Edo, 505, 827; Ekiti,199,725; Bayelsa, 210,201; Benue, 259,130; Borno, 456,601; Cross River, 145, 615; Akwa Ibom, 140,822; Anambra, 248,268; Bauchi, 316,199; Abia, 043,308; Adamawa, 263,945; Enugu, 070,291; Gombe, 112,857; Niger, 387,097; Ogun, 586, 453; and Ondo, 436,968.