Businessman and presidential aspirant Stanley Osifo has accepted defeat in the presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), pledging to support President Bola Tinubu and work for the party’s success ahead of the 2027 general election.
Osifo spoke shortly after the declaration of results at the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja where Tinubu was officially returned as the APC presidential candidate following a landslide victory in the nationwide direct primary election.
The APC primary, conducted across 8,809 wards nationwide, saw Tinubu secure more than 10.9 million votes, while Osifo polled 16,503 votes.
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Despite expressing disappointment with the outcome, Osifo said he had accepted the result in the interest of party unity and internal democracy.
“I think God knows better, and God knows tomorrow,” he told journalists after the collation exercise in Abuja.
Asked whether he was satisfied with the outcome, Osifo admitted he was unhappy with the figures announced but insisted he had no grievances against the party leadership or the President.
“I’m not okay with the outcome of the results. And I’m working with the party, I’m working with the candidate of the party as well. I have no problem with it,” he said.
The businessman explained that his decision to purchase the APC presidential nomination form and contest the primary was not an act of hostility toward Tinubu but part of a democratic process within the ruling party.
“We are one party, we are members of the All Progressives Congress, we are one family.
“So we are not challenging ourselves. What we did was to have within ourselves who will become the candidate of the party. So where we are now, we have that already today,” he stated.
Osifo was the only aspirant who formally contested against Tinubu after an earlier consensus arrangement within sections of the party reportedly collapsed ahead of the primary.
Results announced by the APC Presidential Primary Election Committee showed that Osifo recorded low figures in several states and reportedly failed to secure votes in states including the Federal Capital Territory, Delta, Kogi, Ebonyi and Jigawa.
Still, the aspirant said he remained optimistic about his political future and appreciated supporters who backed his candidacy across the country.
“My supporters that voted for me, including those clapping for me, I want to deeply express my gratitude to them. It’s not been an easy task,” he said.
“We have 36 states in Nigeria including the FCT, 37, and we have coordinators in all the states, in all the local governments, in all the wards. They have done marvellously well.”
He also welcomed Tinubu’s conciliatory remarks after the primary, saying the President’s olive branch reflected the need for unity within the APC ahead of the next election cycle.
“That is why we are working together. We are one party, so we must work together. Nobody is an island.
“Even if I had become the candidate today, I cannot work alone. I need a team.
“So offering an olive branch is something that everybody would want to support the president for,” Osifo added.
The APC primary result has now effectively cleared the path for Tinubu to seek a second term in office in 2027, with party leaders already rallying support behind his candidacy.
Political observers say Osifo’s swift acceptance of defeat may help the ruling party avoid internal fractures as preparations gradually begin for another fiercely contested presidential election season in Nigeria.
