Despite a surge of endorsements for Bola Tinubu, Stanley Osifo, a former presidential candidate, has declared his intention to contest the All Progressives Congress (APC) 2027 presidential ticket, potentially challenging the incumbent.
Speaking further, Osifo denied allegations that his ambition was connected to the president in response to rumours regarding his political support.
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.”
Political Weight Of The Endorsements
The contender insisted he is unfazed by the growing support for Tinubu inside the party hierarchy, adding that party officials’ endorsements do not supersede constitutional requirements governing candidate selection.
Additionally, Stanley Osifo said he would not be intimidated when asked how he plans to handle the political weight of the endorsements.
He said, “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 also stressed that “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.”
BACKSTORY…
Amid preparations for 2026 party primaries, the APC National Working Committee (NWC) had changed the party’s 2027 election schedule, moving its presidential primary to May 23.
Following the party’s 186th NWC meeting, Deputy National Publicity Secretary Duro Meseko announced the change to reporters in Abuja on Thursday.
The party has also scheduled its presidential primary for May 15–16 and set the nomination forms at ₦100 million—₦30 million for expression of interest and ₦70 million for nomination.
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