A former presidential aspirant, Stanley Osifo, has announced his intention to contest the 2027 presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress, setting up a potential internal challenge against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Osifo made the declaration on Monday, April 27, in Abuja, where he also confirmed plans to purchase the party’s nomination forms ahead of the primaries.
APC Endorsements Face Internal Pushback
His announcement comes at a time when all 22 APC governors have publicly endorsed President Tinubu as the party’s preferred candidate.
Despite this wave of support, Osifo maintained that endorsements do not eliminate the rights of other aspirants to contest.
Osifo Rejects Sponsorship Claims
Addressing speculation about possible backing, Osifo dismissed claims that his ambition is being funded by the president or his allies.
“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… I am not worried about such an insinuation,” he said.
He added that his decision to run is based on personal conviction.
“I am declaring interest and running for this ticket because of the strong conviction that I have,” he added.
Cites Constitutional Right to Contest
Osifo argued that endorsements do not automatically guarantee candidacy under party or national laws.
“I am not against governors or party leaders endorsing anybody… but we all have a constitutional right to pursue our ambitions,” he said.
“There is no provision in the party constitution or the Nigerian constitution that makes endorsement a pathway to becoming a candidate.”
He further noted that guidelines by the Independent National Electoral Commission allow qualified aspirants to freely contest party primaries.
APC Presidential Primary Dates Disclosed
The APC has fixed its presidential primary for May 15 to 16, with nomination forms priced at ₦100 million.
Osifo’s entry signals a possible contest within the ruling party, even as efforts continue to build consensus around President Tinubu’s re-election bid.
