Lagos- Jubilation by supporters of retired Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday trailed his victory at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary election.
Buhari’s supporters and many other APC members and supporters were shouting, jumping up and chanting songs in and outside the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, venue of the APC national convention.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Buhari on Thursday polled 3,430 votes to defeat former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar (954 votes) and Gov. Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State (974 votes).
Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo polled 624 votes and Mr Sam Nda-Isaiah, the Publisher of Leadership newspapers, got 10 votes at the election held at the Teslim Balogun Staduim in Lagos.
A total of valid 5992 votes were cast at the election while 16 votes were voided, bringing the number of votes cast to 6,008.
A total of 7,214 delegates from the 36 states of the federation and Abuja participated at the two-day convention, which began on Wednesday.
Ahead of Buhari’s victory, some chieftains of APC urged the contestants to work together with the winner to ensure victory for the party in the 2015 elections.
They told the News Agency of Nigeria that such cooperation would be in the over all interest of the party.
Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun said that the other contestants should see the winner’s victory as that of the entire party members and give him all the support.
While addressing the convention earlier, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, urged all the contestants to support the winner.
“We should be able to accept the outcome of this exercise and come together in the overall interest of the party, ” Tambuwal said.
A former National Chairman of the Peoples Deocratic Party, Chief Audu Ogbeh, also called for collective efforts by all members of the APC to ensure victory for the party in 2015.
NAN reports that Buhari will slug it out with President Goodluck Jonathan, who is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Feb. 14, 2015 presidential election.
