……welcomes diverse political views
President Bola Tinubu on Sunday said he has no grudge against his only challenger in the APC presidential primary, Stanley Osifo, after emerging as the party’s candidate for the 2027 election.
Speaking on Sunday at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja after emerging as the APC presidential candidate with 10.9 million votes, Tinubu also signaled openness to engaging critics and opposition voices through dialogue rather than confrontation.
The president said democracy thrives on differing opinions and collective belief in national progress, stressing that political disagreements should not be viewed as threats.
“To those who oppose our philosophy, we offer dialogue and engagement, not hostility, because we believe the results of our work will speak for themselves,” Tinubu said.
Addressing Osifo directly, Tinubu added, “I hold no grudge against anyone, including Osifo, who spent his own money to participate.”
Osifo, a businessman from Edo State, purchased the APC presidential nomination form for N100 million and declined to withdraw after efforts to secure a consensus arrangement for the party primary failed.
He eventually secured 16,503 votes nationwide.
Tinubu further emphasized that democracy is sustained by diversity of ideas rather than political uniformity.
“You may disagree with our party, and that is acceptable. Democracy is not built on uniformity but on diversity and the exchange of ideas grounded in a common belief in the nation,” he stated.
