Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Pentecostal preacher Tunde Bakare have obtained the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential nomination forms for the 2023 elections, swelling the ranks of aspirants in the race.

Mr Osinbajo’s form was purchased by The Progressive Project (TPP), an umbrella body of support groups backing the vice president, said Laolu Akande, his spokesman.

“A passionate team of support groups and individual Nigerians from across the country have raised funds to support the purchase of APC nomination forms for the Vice President’s 2023 presidential bid,” Mr Akande tweeted on Thursday.

“Today, the forms have been collected by representatives of the team just as the VP continues his interactions with APC stakeholders across the states.

“Today, he is in Cross River and Bayelsa states. It’s all about the desire and resolve of the VP to serve the people of Nigeria with all his heart, experience and insights.”

Kano senator Kabiru Gaya led the group who collected the forms for Mr Osinbajo at the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja.

Similarly, Mr Bakare, the Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church,also purchased the APC N100 million nomination and expression of interests forms, on Thursday.

The fiery preacher is yet to officially declare his interest to run for president in 2023.

Messrs Osinbajo and Bakare join the growing list of APC presidential aspirants, including Kogi governor Yahaya Bello and former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu, to jostle for the party’s ticket at the May 30 presidential primary elections.