APC Primary: Tinubu “Owns the Game”; Abati Urges Him to Start a School of Politics and Strategy

Veteran journalist and former presidential aide Reuben Abati said that President Bola Tinubu’s performance in the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary demonstrated his political dominance.

Abati, speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Monday, noted that Tinubu’s landslide victory—winning more than 11 million votes—sent a strong message to opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections. He compared the result to a “demonstration effect” that would pressure opposition candidates, such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), to secure even larger vote totals within their own parties.

Abati also highlighted that the APC primary was not without controversy. He mentioned protests and disagreements over the use of consensus and direct primaries in some areas, and questioned the feasibility of counting the reported vote totals during the weekend primaries.

“I think we should get to a point in this country where we should start a Tinubu school of politics and strategy,” Abati said. “What President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done over the weekend is to show that he’s the owner of the game.” He added that Tinubu’s 11 million votes, compared with challenger Stanley Osifo’s just over 1,000 votes, underscored the president’s strategic advantage.

Abati concluded that the opposition would need to surpass Tinubu’s vote count to challenge his influence. He also remarked that the APC’s strategy of presenting such a decisive result was “very smart, very clever,” while acknowledging the logistical difficulties that emerged during the counting process.