APC chieftain vows to challenge Tinubu for party’s presidential ticket

A former presidential aspirant, Stanley Osifo, has declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress, setting up a potential challenge to President Bola Tinubu despite a wave of endorsements backing the incumbent.

Osifo made his position known on Monday at a press conference in Abuja, where he formally announced plans to purchase the party’s ₦100m nomination and expression of interest forms ahead of the scheduled primaries.

His declaration comes against the backdrop of a growing consensus within the ruling party, with all 22 APC governors endorsing Tinubu as the party’s sole candidate for the 2027 election, a move that has gathered momentum since May 2025.

Addressing speculations about his political backing, Osifo dismissed claims linking his ambition to the president.

He said, “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.

“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.

“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.”

The aspirant maintained that endorsements by party leaders do not override constitutional provisions guiding candidate selection, insisting he remains undeterred by the growing support for Tinubu within the party hierarchy.

When asked how he intends to navigate the political weight of the endorsements, Osifo said he would not be intimidated.

“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.

“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.

The APC has fixed its presidential primary for May 15 to 16, with nomination forms pegged at ₦100m—₦30m for expression of interest and ₦70m for nomination.

Osifo’s entry into the race signals a potential contest within the ruling party, even as Tinubu’s loyalists continue to push for a consensus candidacy ahead of the primaries.