Tinubu Wins APC Presidential Primary By Landslide in Bayelsà 

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa 

In a smooth, rancour‑free All Progressive Congress (APC) primary that took place across all 105 wards and eight local government areas of Bayelsa State, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu secured 227,192 votes on Saturday, emerging as the party’s presidential candidate.

His sole opponent, Stanley Osifo, received only five votes, all from the Yenagoa Local Government Area.

During the announcement at the Banquet Hall, state governor and state returning officer, Senator Douye Diri, praised the peaceful atmosphere that prevailed throughout the primaries.

After receiving returns from every local government area, Diri stated that the exercise was conducted peacefully and with full participation from party members.

He declared, “I hereby certify that the results announced represent the true, correct and accurate collation of votes from all local government areas in Bayelsa State. The process was conducted peacefully and in accordance with party guidelines.”

Diri commended party members for their orderly conduct, noting that the primary remained largely peaceful across all wards and local government areas.

Observers described the process as highly organized, with delegates and party officials praising the smooth collation and the absence of major disputes.

In response, Senator Heneken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), described the presidential primary in his Ekeremor Local Government Area as peaceful, transparent and successful.

After monitoring the exercise in Ward 8, Ekeremor, Lokpobiri praised APC members for their orderly conduct and commitment throughout the process.

He said the primary was part of the party’s broader effort to nominate candidates for the 2027 general election, following earlier primaries for Senate, House of Representatives and state House of Assembly positions.

“Today’s exercise is specifically for the nomination of the APC presidential candidate for the 2027 election,” he said. “As you can see, this is my ward, Ward 8 in Ekeremor, with over 13,000 registered APC members. By law, I am not eligible to vote or be voted for because I am a political appointee. However, I am here as an observer, and I am very happy that the exercise in my ward was peaceful and successful,” he added.

Lokpobiri expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the primary across the local government area, noting that reports from the 12 wards indicated the exercise remained peaceful throughout.