Nigeria, April 29 -- A trader from Edo State, Osifo Stanley, has joined the 2027 presidential race on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), after purchasing the party's ₦100 million expression of interest and nomination forms to challenge incumbent President Bola Tinubu.

The development signals an early contest within the ruling party, coming just hours after allies of the president procured the same forms on his behalf ahead of the party's presidential primary scheduled for 23 May.

Mr Stanley, described as a trader, completed the purchase of the forms on Tuesday at the Sheraton Hotel in Abuja, positioning himself as the first aspirant to publicly declare interest in the race against an incumbent.

His move was disc...