By Adesakin Adefemi
Businessman Stanley Osifo has accepted defeat in the All Progressives Congress presidential primary and pledged to work for the party’s success in the 2027 general elections.
Osifo, who polled 16,503 votes against President Bola Tinubu’s 10,999,162, spoke shortly after results were declared at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja on Sunday. The nationwide direct primary was held across 8,809 wards on Saturday.
“I think God knows better, and God knows tomorrow,” Osifo said when asked about the outcome. While noting that he was not satisfied with the results, he stressed that he had no issue working with the party and its candidate.
The businessman said his decision to purchase the N100 million nomination form and contest was part of legitimate internal party democracy, not a personal challenge to Tinubu. “We are one party, we are members of the All Progressives Congress, we are one family,” he said.
Osifo welcomed Tinubu’s public statement that he bore no grudge against him, describing the sentiment as mutual. “That is why we are working together. We are one party, so we must work together. Nobody is an island,” he said.
He expressed appreciation to supporters across the country, noting that coordinators in all 36 states, the FCT, local governments, and wards had mobilized effectively despite the challenge of running against an incumbent president.
Osifo, who became the only aspirant to formally contest against Tinubu after a planned consensus collapsed, said he remained optimistic about the future. “I am a very young man. I have a lot of years ahead of me, so it’s possible for things to happen,” he said.
Reports showed Osifo recorded zero votes in several states, including the FCT, Delta, Kogi, Ebonyi, and Jigawa. Despite the margin, he said his campaign had laid groundwork that could serve the party going forward.
The APC primary reaffirmed Tinubu as the party’s candidate for 2027. With Osifo’s concession and pledge of support, the party appears set to close ranks early as it prepares for the next electoral cycle.
