Stanley Osifo, the businessman who challenged President Bola Tinubu for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket, has said he is dissatisfied with the outcome of the party’s presidential primary election.

Osifo spoke on Sunday after Tinubu was declared winner of the APC nationwide direct presidential primary conducted across 8,809 wards on Saturday.

According to the final results, President Tinubu polled 10,999,162 votes, while Osifo secured 16,503 votes.

Despite the heavy defeat, Osifo said he would remain loyal to the APC and continue working with the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“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.

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“We Are One Family”

Speaking after the collation and declaration of results at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja, Osifo stressed that the contest was part of the APC’s democratic process and not a personal battle against the President.

“We are one party, we are members of the All Progressives Congress, we are one family,” he stated.

He added that internal contests are normal within political parties and should not divide members.

“What we did was to have within ourselves who would become the candidate of the party,” he said.

Accepts Tinubu’s Olive Branch

Osifo also welcomed Tinubu’s post-primary message of reconciliation, after the President reportedly said he bore no grudge against his challenger and remained open to engagement.

Responding, Osifo said cooperation within the party is necessary for political success.

“Nobody is an island. Even if I had become the candidate today, I cannot work alone. I need a team,” he said.

“I Still Have Many Years Ahead”

The APC aspirant, who purchased the party’s ₦100 million nomination form after an earlier consensus arrangement collapsed, said his political ambition remains alive despite the setback.

“I am a very young man. I have a lot of years ahead of me,” Osifo stated.

He also thanked his supporters nationwide, saying his campaign structure operated across all 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory, local governments, and wards.

“They have done marvellously well,” he said of his supporters.

Tinubu Wins APC Ticket

President Tinubu emerged as the APC presidential candidate for the 2027 election following the direct primary held nationwide.

Osifo was the only aspirant who formally contested against the President after successfully purchasing the nomination form.

Reports indicated that he recorded zero votes in several states, including:

• Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
• Delta
• Kogi
• Ebonyi
• Jigawa

Despite the result, Osifo maintained that he would continue to work with the APC leadership ahead of the next general election.