President Bola Tinubu has taken his first formal step toward seeking a second term, with an ally picking up his presidential nomination forms from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday in Abuja, signalling the early start of what promises to be a fiercely contested election cycle in Nigeria.
James Faleke, the House of Representatives member for Ikeja Federal Constituency and founder of the Tinubu Support Group, collected the APC Expression of Interest and Nomination forms on behalf of the president at the party’s national secretariat. The documents were presented by APC National Organising Secretary Suleiman Argungu following payment of N100 million, which Faleke said was raised collectively by more than 1,000 supporters from Lagos and across Nigeria.
“By the grace of God, he will contest and he will win the election,” Faleke told journalists after collecting the forms.
He also picked up the APC governorship nomination forms for Lagos State Deputy Governor Dr. Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat, who has been adopted by the Lagos State chapter of the party as its consensus candidate for the 2027 governorship contest. Faleke further collected forms for himself ahead of a bid to return to the House of Representatives, and for Lagos West Senator Idiat Adebule.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed Saturday, January 16, 2027 for the presidential and National Assembly elections, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly polls will hold on Saturday, February 6, 2027. The APC has shifted its presidential primary election to May 23, 2026, with party primaries running through May 30, 2026. Campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly races are set to commence on August 19, 2026.
Tinubu, who assumed office in May 2023, was adopted as the APC consensus presidential candidate in May 2025. His re-election bid takes shape amid growing opposition, with major parties announcing plans to field a united candidate against him in the presidential contest.
