A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Stanley Osifo, has declared his intention to contest the party’s 2027 presidential ticket, setting the stage for a potential showdown with incumbent President Bola Tinubu despite mounting endorsements in favour of the latter.
Osifo made the announcement on Monday during a press conference in Abuja, where he disclosed plans to purchase the APC’s nomination and expression of interest forms valued at ₦100 million ahead of the party’s scheduled primaries.
His declaration came amid a growing consensus within the ruling party, as all 22 APC governors have reportedly endorsed Tinubu as the party’s sole candidate for the 2027 election, a position that has continued to gain traction since May 2025.
Addressing speculations surrounding his ambition, Osifo dismissed claims that he was being sponsored by the president.
“It is not strange to hear people say Tinubu is the one sponsoring me. Even when I wanted to run against Buhari in 2019, I was told the current president was bankrolling me,” he said.
“I can categorically tell you as I stand before you today that I have never benefited one Kobo from him. Thank God Asiwaju is still alive till today. If anybody has proof, let them show the world. So, I am not worried about such an insinuation.”
The APC chieftain said his decision to contest was driven by personal conviction, insisting he has not been found wanting in his political career.
“I am declaring interest and running for this ticket because of the strong conviction that I have. I have not been found wanting in any area or sanctioned for doing anything related to anti-party activities,” Osifo added.
Reacting to the wave of endorsements for Tinubu, Osifo maintained that such political backing did not supersede constitutional provisions guiding candidate selection.
“I am not against the governors or party leaders endorsing anybody. I am not out to fight anybody but we all have a constitutional right to pursue our ambitions,” he said.
“Again, there is no part of our party constitution that says that if anyone is endorsed, he automatically becomes the candidate of the party. There is no such law, even in the Nigerian constitution that highlights endorsement as a pathway to becoming a candidate.”
“The party constitution clearly states that an aspirant can come out and run. INEC law also mandates an aspirant to vie for the ticket of any political office he qualifies for,” he stressed.
Recall that the APC has slated its presidential primary election for May 15 to 16, with nomination forms pegged at ₦100 million, comprising ₦30 million for expression of interest form and ₦70 million for nomination form.
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