Political analyst Jide Ojo has raised concerns over the credibility of figures announced during the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primaries that produced President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the party’s candidate, questioning what he described as inconsistencies in the reported results.
Speaking during an interview from 4:03 on Channels Television, Ojo said several aspects of the election results left room for doubt and required clearer explanation from those who conducted the exercise. He argued that some of the figures announced from different parts of the country appeared difficult to reconcile with the realities on the ground at the time.
A key point of contention, according to him, was the result declared for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where officials reportedly announced that President Tinubu secured 36,103 votes. Ojo said he found the figure questionable and difficult to trace to any verifiable voting process structure within the territory.
He stated that widespread uncertainty surrounded how such numbers were compiled, especially as many party members allegedly did not have clear information about the locations of voting centres during the primaries. This, he suggested, created gaps in understanding how delegates were accredited and how ballots were cast and collated.
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Ojo further questioned the reported voter turnout in several states, alleging that some of the figures showed participation levels exceeding 90 percent. According to him, such high turnout rates were unusual and raised additional concerns about the transparency of the process, particularly in areas where logistics and communication challenges were reportedly present.
The analyst also drew attention to the speed with which results were announced in some states, including Rivers State. He noted that given the size of the state and the difficult terrain in several riverine local government areas, it was surprising that final results were collated and declared within a relatively short period.
He argued that electoral processes of such scale typically require extensive verification and collation procedures, making rapid final announcements appear questionable to observers. Ojo added that comparisons with elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) highlighted these concerns, as INEC processes usually involve multiple layers of result transmission and verification before final declaration.
In his words, “We Were Told That FCT Recorded 36,103 Votes For Tinubu, I Don’t Know Where That Figure Came From Ojo”, emphasizing his skepticism over how the number was generated and whether it reflected the actual participation of delegates at the primaries.
He stressed that his comments were not aimed at undermining any individual candidate but at encouraging greater transparency and accountability in internal party elections. According to him, political parties must strengthen their internal democratic processes to build public confidence ahead of general elections.
Ojo maintained that credible primaries are essential for strengthening Nigeria’s democracy, as they determine the quality and legitimacy of candidates presented to the electorate. He warned that unresolved questions about internal electoral processes could affect public trust in political institutions over time….Read_More…