APC’s Major Political Victories Since Its Formation

Last checked: 13 October 2026. This article is a neutral explainer based on published reports. It does not endorse any party or candidate, and where accounts conflict it says so. Vote figures come from INEC results as reported by news outlets.

The APC’s record is usually summed up by one date, 2015. But the party’s victories have come in different forms: presidential elections, legislative majorities, governorships, internal primaries and defections. This article lists the main ones with the numbers, and it also notes the limits and disputes around each so that the picture is complete.

2013: becoming a registered party

The first victory was organisational. The merger of the ACN, CPC, ANPP and a faction of APGA won INEC registration on 31 July 2013, after rival groups applied for similar names. Five serving PDP governors joined in November 2013, which gave the new party a bigger platform before any vote was cast.

2015: the first defeat of an incumbent president

Muhammadu Buhari defeated President Goodluck Jonathan by almost 2.6 million votes, about 15.4 million to about 12.9 million. Britannica calls it the first time in Nigerian history that an incumbent was defeated and that power passed peacefully from one party to another. The party also took majorities in both chambers of the National Assembly and won a significant number of governorships.

2019: re-election

Buhari won a second term with about 15.2 million votes against about 11.3 million for Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, and a commentator counts 19 states in his column. It was a victory with a cost. During the term, the party had lost its federal legislative majorities in 2018 after Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker Yakubu Dogara and dozens of other lawmakers moved to the PDP.

2023: a third consecutive presidential win

Bola Tinubu was declared winner on 1 March 2023 with 8,794,726 votes, or 36.61%, ahead of Atiku with 6,984,520 and Peter Obi with 6,101,533. INEC reported 18 candidates and 24.9 million votes cast out of more than 93 million registered voters. Tinubu won in states including Rivers, Borno, Jigawa, Zamfara, Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo and Ogun, according to Premium Times, but lost Lagos to Obi by about 10,000 votes.

The result was disputed by opposition parties, who complained that results were not uploaded electronically to INEC’s portal as expected. The APC’s win was also notable for the lowest turnout of any presidential election in the Fourth Republic, about 27%, and for a smaller winning tally than Buhari’s 15.4 million and 15.2 million in 2015 and 2019. Both facts are part of the record.

2025 and 2026: consolidating the states

Between late 2025 and early 2026, governors in Enugu, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Rivers, Plateau, Taraba, Kano, Adamawa and Zamfara moved to the APC, according to reports. BusinessDay counted 31 governors after Zamfara’s Dauda Lawal joined in March 2026, leaving the PDP with two, though other counts say 29 or 30. The party and its supporters describe the shift as proof of its appeal, while opponents describe it as the effect of state power. It remains a major change in the political map either way.

2026: party processes

• Convention. The 8th National Convention in March 2026 returned its leadership by consensus.
• Presidential primary. Tinubu won the direct primary on 23 May 2026, announced on 24 May, with about 10.9 million votes against about 16,500 for his only challenger, Stanley Osifo.
• Governorship primaries. The APC produced candidates in 28 states, with many agreed by consensus or after defections.

Such wins show organisation, though the opposition notes that the contests were largely uncompeted.

What these victories show

1. Coalitions can beat dominant incumbents, as in 2015.
2. Winning requires holding the coalition together, which proved hard in 2018.
3. Control of governorships is a major asset in organisation and mobilisation.
4. Winning margins are not the same as popularity, so turnout and fairness matter.

What comes next

INEC has set the presidential and National Assembly elections for 16 January 2027 and governorship elections for 6 February. Tinubu is the APC candidate, with Kashim Shettima as running mate. Atiku Abubakar is the candidate of the African Democratic Congress, and Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress. The APC says it is the party to beat. The opposition says that economic hardship will change voters’ choices. The outcome is unknown.

What we could not confirm

• The exact count of governorships and legislative seats won in each cycle, since the figures vary by source.
• The result of the 2027 elections.
• Independent verification of the figures for the 2026 primaries.

Frequently asked questions

How many presidential elections has the APC won? Three, in 2015, 2019 and 2023.

What was the margin in 2015? Almost 2.6 million votes.

When is the next election? 16 January 2027.

Key takeaways

The APC has won three consecutive presidential elections, controls most governorships and has completed its 2026 primaries. Its victories came with disputes, falling vote totals and internal strain, which is why a balanced reading looks at both the wins and the context.

Sources checked

• Britannica and the APC’s official “About” page
• Premium Times, “INEC declares APC’s Bola Tinubu winner”
• NGElections brief on the 2023 presidential results
• BusinessDay on the 2026 primaries and the 2027 candidates
• Wikipedia on the APC; Dubawa and BusinessDay on governors