President Bola Tinubu has formally triggered his re-election campaign for the 2027 general election after loyalists and support groups within the ruling All Progressives Congress purchased his presidential expression of interest and nomination forms worth N100 million, signaling the official start of what is expected to be a fierce battle for a second term.
The forms were picked up on Tuesday in Abuja by James Faleke, a member of the House of Representatives representing Ikeja Federal Constituency and a longstanding ally of the president, during the first day of sales for the APC’s 2027 nomination process.
The move effectively places Tinubu at the forefront of the ruling party’s presidential contest, months before formal campaigns begin.
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Faleke, who also played a similar role during Tinubu’s 2023 presidential bid, said the money used to purchase the forms was raised by more than 1,000 supporters and political associates, dismissing suggestions that a single financier bankrolled the process.
“There is no one particular person who has done this. It is on behalf of all Nigerians,” Faleke told journalists shortly after collecting the forms.
He said Tinubu remained the best candidate to continue the administration’s economic and governance reforms, expressing confidence that the president would secure a second term.
The APC fixed the presidential expression of interest form at N30 million and the nomination form at N70 million, bringing the total cost to N100 million.
Under the party’s revised timetable, sales of forms will run until May 2, while submission closes on May 4.
Screening of aspirants is scheduled for May 6 to May 9, with the presidential primary fixed for May 23.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed January 16, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly elections, while governorship and state assembly elections will follow on February 6, 2027.
Tinubu’s early move is already being interpreted by political analysts as a strategy to tighten his grip on the party structure and send a clear signal to potential challengers within the APC.
The ruling party has, in recent weeks, intensified preparations for the election cycle, releasing a revised internal timetable and encouraging aspirants to comply strictly with nomination guidelines.
Beyond Tinubu’s forms, Faleke also collected nomination papers for Lagos Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, who is emerging as a strong contender for the Lagos governorship, Senator Idiat Adebule, and for his own re-election to the House of Representatives.
The opening day of form sales also attracted several governorship hopefuls from states including Bauchi, Ogun, Nasarawa, and Yobe, reflecting the growing pace of political mobilisation within the ruling party.
Senator Shehu Buba, one of the governorship aspirants, expressed optimism about the APC’s chances in Bauchi, insisting the opposition Peoples Democratic Party had lost public confidence.
Across several states, consultations and political alignments are already gathering speed as aspirants position for the primaries.
In Kogi, Governor Ahmed Ododo has reportedly begun stakeholder meetings to achieve consensus on some races, a sign of growing internal coordination.
For Tinubu, the purchase of the forms is more than symbolic. It formally opens the contest for his second-term ambition and sets the stage for what could become one of the most closely watched political battles in Nigeria’s recent history.
With party primaries approaching and opposition forces attempting to build alliances, the countdown to 2027 has entered a new phase.
