The All Progressives Congress (APC) has stressed that although President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has received broad endorsement for a second term, the party’s presidential ticket will remain open to any member who wishes to contest in the primaries.
National Organising Secretary of the party, Alhaji Sulaiman Argungu, addressed the matter at a press briefing on Wednesday at the APC national secretariat in Abuja. He clarified that while the party leadership and various organs have endorsed Tinubu for a second term, the process remains open to all members.
“It will be the wish of the party, and we, the NWC of the party, have already endorsed President Tinubu as the next presidential candidate of the party. And by extension, other organs have equally done the same thing,” he said.
“Governors in the states have done the same, too. It has also been replicated in all six geographical zones of the country. But it does not mean that the door is closed.
“We will definitely not close our doors. When the time comes, our timetable will be made known. Anybody who wants to aspire for the presidency under the APC will not be denied the opportunity to purchase the expression of interest and nomination forms to exercise their franchise.
“We never said we had locked the door. We are only telling people that we appreciate what the President is doing for the people of the country and that he deserves a second term in office when we roundly endorsed him recently.
“Democracy does not permit dictatorship. While the majority of our members have endorsed President Tinubu, any other aspirant who wishes to contest under the APC platform will still be allowed to do so,” he added.
Argungu also stressed that the party would continue to comply with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) timetable and the Electoral Act to ensure a transparent and credible selection process.
Highlighting the APC’s recent electoral performance, the Organising Secretary described victories in bye-elections across opposition strongholds as evidence of growing voter confidence in both the ruling party and President Tinubu’s leadership.
“The fact that we can secure victory in PDP states shows that Nigerians believe in the progressive agenda of President Tinubu and the APC,” he said.
Responding to allegations that the party’s Organising Department had been sidelined during primaries, Argungu rejected the claims, stating that since assuming office in 2022, his team had introduced reforms that promote transparency and teamwork.
He also addressed concerns about the forthcoming governorship primary election in Ekiti State, where some feared certain aspirants might be excluded. According to him, the race is open to all interested members.
“So far, four aspirants, including the serving governor, have purchased forms. Two are men, while two are women, who benefited from the party’s gender-sensitive policy that grants free nomination forms to female aspirants,” he said.
