Accord presidential candidate Christopher Imumolen has withdrawn from the 2027 presidential race and endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term, saying the incumbent is well positioned to win the election.

Imumolen, who is also the National Chairman of the Accord Party, announced the decision at a news conference in Lagos on Friday.

He said the decision followed consultations with the leadership and members of the party, adding that national interest should take precedence over personal ambition and partisan considerations.

The announcement marks a significant change in Imumolen’s political position: rather than continuing his own presidential bid, he is now directing his support towards Tinubu and calling for continuity in the current administration.

Why Imumolen Chose Tinubu

Imumolen said his decision was based on an assessment of Tinubu’s reforms, leadership and what he described as the need for continuity in governance.

He argued that Nigerians were gradually beginning to appreciate the longer-term benefits of the administration’s reform agenda despite the economic difficulties facing the country.

According to him, Tinubu had introduced programmes aimed at improving the lives of Nigerians and was receiving support from different parts of the country.

“Tinubu will win because of his people-oriented programmes and the massive support he has received from different parts of the country,” Imumolen said.

He also argued that changing the administration in 2027 could disrupt ongoing policies and programmes.

“If another person comes in 2027, he will have to start all over again,” he said.

For Imumolen, continuity was therefore central to the decision.

“There must be continuity. He has identified the challenges and we need to move from where we are to the next phase. That is why we are supporting him and he will win. My support is total,” he added.

The Thinking Behind The Endorsement

Imumolen said the Accord Party reached its decision after considering 10 factors relating to Tinubu’s performance and Nigeria’s future development.

Rather than presenting the considerations as a simple list, they broadly centred on four areas.

The first was the administration’s reform programme and the argument for maintaining continuity. Imumolen cited Tinubu’s willingness to implement difficult economic reforms, his commitment to ongoing development projects and what he described as the importance of sustaining policies already underway.

The second concerned leadership and governance. He pointed to Tinubu’s leadership capacity, his approach to progressive governance and the appointment of what he described as competent Nigerians to strategic public positions.

Youth empowerment formed another part of the argument. Imumolen said the administration had deliberately created opportunities for younger Nigerians, while also attempting to bridge generational gaps in leadership.

The final consideration was what he described as the broader national interest. He linked the endorsement to political stability, policy continuity, transparency and collaboration that could strengthen democracy and accelerate national development.

Imumolen said the party’s early endorsement was also intended to demonstrate openness and give its members and supporters a clear political direction ahead of 2027.

From Presidential Aspirant To Tinubu Supporter

The endorsement carries particular significance because Imumolen was previously pursuing the presidency himself.

His decision therefore represents more than an expression of support for Tinubu. It removes his own candidacy from the 2027 presidential contest and places the Accord Party behind an incumbent seeking another term.

Imumolen insisted that his political ambition had always been motivated by a desire to serve Nigeria rather than simply to occupy public office.

He said withdrawing from the race was consequently consistent with his belief that national interest should come before personal political ambition.

That explanation is central to how he presented the decision: not as a retreat from politics, but as a choice to support what he considers a broader national objective.

Imumolen’s Assessment Of The Opposition

The Accord leader went further by arguing that no opposition presidential candidate had a stronger prospect of defeating Tinubu in 2027.

He specifically referred to candidates expected to contest under the African Democratic Congress and the National Democratic Congress, saying none had a stronger chance of dislodging the president.

That assessment remains Imumolen’s political judgment rather than an established prediction about the outcome of the 2027 election.

He also pointed to Tinubu’s appointments of young Nigerians to strategic government positions as evidence of what he described as the administration’s confidence in the younger generation.

According to Imumolen, those appointments had created opportunities for younger Nigerians to participate in governance and contribute to national development.

Continuity Over Political Ambition

Imumolen’s broader argument is that Nigeria needs continuity to preserve reforms already underway.

He said maintaining the current direction of government was necessary to attract investment, create jobs, strengthen institutions and sustain ongoing reforms.

That position also explains why he rejected the suggestion that Accord’s endorsement was simply a consequence of weak political structures.

Imumolen insisted that the decision was not driven by political weakness.

Instead, he said the party had reached its position after assessing the administration’s performance and determining what it considered to be in Nigeria’s best interest.

The distinction is important to his explanation of the endorsement: Accord is presenting its decision as a deliberate political choice rather than an inability to compete.

The Political Shift Behind The Endorsement

Imumolen’s decision changes his position in the 2027 race in a straightforward but significant way.

He entered the political period as a presidential aspirant seeking the country’s highest office. He has now withdrawn that ambition and placed his support behind the incumbent.

His stated reasons combine economic reforms, continuity, youth participation, leadership and national interest.

Whether other political actors will accept that assessment is a separate question. What is established from Imumolen’s announcement is that he no longer intends to pursue the presidency himself and that his support is now directed towards Tinubu.

The political message behind the decision is therefore less about conceding that the election has already been decided and more about explaining why Imumolen believes continuity under Tinubu is preferable to pursuing his own presidential ambition.

For Imumolen, that is the principle that ultimately connects his withdrawal from the race with his endorsement of the president: national interest, as he defines it, must come before personal political ambition.