Nigeria's President Tinubu To Run For Re-Election

Abuja: Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu, 74, will run for re-election in January, with the leader of Africa's most populous nation named as his party's candidate on Sunday.

After passing the formality of primaries for his All Progressives Congress (APC), Tinubu was formally anointed the party's candidate for the 2027 presidential race at a ceremony in the capital Abuja, in a conference centre bearing his name.

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First elected in 2023, Tinubu has never hidden his ambition to serve a second four-year term, as his fondness for decor bearing the number eight testifies.

His primary victory had been announced on Saturday evening, with the party hailing the process as proof of internal democracy. He had faced off against a lone opponent, obscure businessman Stanley Osifo, who spent 100 million naira (around $73,000) for the right to stand against the president.

Tinubu is the bookmakers' favourite to win the January 2027 election, in the face of a weakened and divided opposition.

His APC controls 31 of the country's 36 states, up from 21 in 2023, following a wave of defections to the ruling party.

In his first term, Tinubu passed a range of reforms intended to boost the economy and reassure international investors.

But many ordinary Nigerians are downbeat on the economy.

In his acceptance speech Sunday, Tinubu promised to "work harder for prosperity".

He acknowledged too that "challenges remain, many Nigerians still struggle -- we do not dismiss these concerns".

But he argued: "We are paying the price now, to lay the foundations."

Inflation soared to 30 percent in 2024 and was still at 15 percent in early 2026, while fuel prices quadrupled in four years. Around 60 percent of Nigerians live in poverty, according to the World Bank, a four-percent increase from when Tinubu took office.

In the coming days, several opposition parties are set to hold primaries to choose who will bid to unseat the president in January.

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