President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday accepted his nomination as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 election, declaring that Nigerians would not hand over the country to politicians "without clear alternative vision."
Tinubu, who spoke at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja, after emerging winner of the APC presidential primary, said the 2027 election must be about consolidating reforms and sustaining economic progress rather than reversing policies already initiated by his administration.
The President secured a landslide victory in the primary election, polling 10,999,162 votes to defeat his challenger, Stanley Osifo, who scored 16,503 votes.
Accepting the nomination, Tinubu said he was humbled by the confidence reposed in him by party members and pledged to serve the country with "even greater determination."
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He said, "This next election must not merely be a contest of parties or ideas, but a reaffirmation of Nigeria's democratic maturity.
"As a government, we have taken giant steps forward. Let's not give in to complacency by allowing politicians with no clear alternative vision to take our country backwards."
Tinubu said his administration had laid the foundation for long-term economic growth through reforms in the power, oil and gas, education and fiscal sectors.
According to him, the government had moved away from "wasteful fuel subsidies, unstable exchange rates and weak infrastructure," adding that the country was beginning to witness positive economic indicators.
"Today, we are witnessing a turnaround: the naira is strengthening, foreign reserves are rising, and our economic outlook is positive despite the inflationary disruption caused by the war in Iran and the geopolitical crisis in the Middle East," he said.
The President also highlighted achievements recorded under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, saying over N282bn had been disbursed to more than 1.5 million beneficiaries.
On electricity supply, Tinubu said his administration had closed the metering gap by supplying 2.5 million meters through the Presidential Metering Initiative and established a N4tn bond programme to settle verified debts owed to power generation and gas companies.
He said power generation had at some points peaked at 6,000 megawatts, describing it as 50 per cent higher than what his administration inherited.
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The APC candidate acknowledged that many Nigerians were still facing economic hardship due to ongoing reforms but insisted that the government understood the concerns of citizens.
"Many Nigerians still struggle with rising costs and economic adjustment. We do not dismiss these concerns; we understand them and govern not in comfort, but in reality--with honesty and action," he said.
Tinubu also reiterated his support for the creation of state police, urging the National Assembly to amend the Constitution to address insecurity across the country.
"We also expect the National Assembly to amend the Constitution to allow the creation of State police as a matter of national emergency," he added.
The President promised to build a more inclusive government if re-elected and called on Nigerians across political, ethnic and religious lines to unite behind the country's development.
"To those who may disagree with us politically, we extend a hand of partnership in nation-building. To those who differ with our philosophy, we offer dialogue and engagement," he said.
Tinubu expressed confidence that with another four years, Nigeria would be placed on what he described as "an irreversible path of economic expansion, industrialisation, energy security, infrastructure development, food sufficiency and democratic consolidation."
