ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The seeming consensus within the All Progressives Congress (APC) around President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid showed fresh cracks on Monday, as Edo-born politician Osifo Stanley formally declared his intention to contest the party’s presidential primary.
Stanley’s entry into the race comes barely weeks after APC stakeholders including governors and National Assembly members rallied behind Tinubu as the party’s sole candidate during its March convention, a move widely seen as sealing the ticket ahead of the 2027 elections.
But speaking with journalists in Abuja, Stanley made it clear he was not bound by endorsements, revealing that he had already requested the party’s account details to pay nomination fees.
“I believe strongly that we all have the right to enjoy our constitutionally-guaranteed rights to run,” he said.
Challenging the legality of consensus politics, he insisted that endorsements do not replace due process.
“There is no part of our party’s constitution that says when people have endorsed you, you automatically become the candidate,” he stated.
“There is no such law in Nigeria. The party Constitution recognises that you can come out to run. INEC law also recognises that you can come out to run.”
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The development threatens the APC’s carefully managed front heading into its May 23 presidential convention, where Tinubu had been expected to emerge unopposed.
Stanley anchored his campaign on tackling Nigeria’s economic challenges and worsening insecurity, describing them as the foundation for national recovery.
“Our plan is to see how Nigeria can get out of lingering economic tension, metamorphose and set our priorities,” he said.
According to him, rebuilding the economy and strengthening security will form the core of his agenda if given the party’s ticket.
His declaration now introduces an early test of internal democracy within the ruling party, raising questions about whether the APC will allow a truly competitive primary or maintain its consensus arrangement.