The All Progressives Congress (APC) has clarified that its 2027 presidential ticket remains open to all interested aspirants, despite the overwhelming endorsement of President Bola Tinubu by party organs and state chapters.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, the APC National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, dismissed reports suggesting that the party would print only one nomination form for the President in a bid to block other contenders.
Argungu acknowledged that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), state governors, and structures across all six geopolitical zones had publicly endorsed Tinubu for a second term.
However, he stressed that such endorsements did not amount to shutting out other aspirants.
“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. But it does not mean that the door is closed,” Argungu said.
He maintained that democracy thrives on competition and that any qualified member willing to contest under the APC platform would be allowed to purchase expression of interest and nomination forms once the timetable is released.
The APC, he assured, will continue to adhere strictly to the INEC timetable and the provisions of the Electoral Act, guaranteeing a credible and inclusive selection process.
“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 pointed to the party’s recent electoral successes, particularly in states traditionally controlled by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as evidence of growing voter confidence in Tinubu’s administration and the APC’s manifesto.