ABUJA – Nigeria's governing party All Progressives Congress (APC) late Saturday confirmed incumbent president Muhammadu Buhari as its candidate for next year's presidential election in Africa's most populous country.

Buhari's candidacy was formally confirmed at a national convention of the party lasting late into the night on Saturday in Abuja.

More than 7,000 party delegates at the APC national convention officially approved Buhari's candidacy in a communique read at the Eagle Square, venue of the event.

The party said Buhari, its sole presidential aspirant, got a total of 14,842,072 votes during the direct presidential primaries on Sept. 28 across Nigeria's 36 states and the capital Abuja. Buhari was present at the event, together with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

The party's national chairman Adams Oshiomhole, the national leader Bola Tinubu and most state governors elected on the platform of the APC were also present at the national convention.

The youth arm and women's arm of the party, as well as state governors elected on the party's platform, took turns to endorse Buhari's candidacy at the national convention.

The Nigerian governing party's national convention was taking place at the same time when the main opposition People's Democratic Party was organizing its presidential primary in Port Harcourt, the country's oil hub and the capital city of the southern state of Rivers.

Nigeria's electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission, earlier gave all 91 political parties registered to participate in the 2019 election an Oct. 7 deadline to submit the names of their presidential candidates. Nigeria will hold its presidential election in February 2019.

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