ABUJA, Nigeria — The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that its endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term does not foreclose the chances of other party members contesting the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday, Sulaiman Argungu, the APC national organising secretary, told journalists that while the president has enjoyed broad support from the party’s leadership, the door remains open for aspirants.
“We will definitely not close our doors (to other presidential aspirants). When the time comes, our timetable will be made known,” Argungu said.
“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.”
He explained that the endorsement of Tinubu by the APC’s national working committee, the Progressives Governors Forum led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma, and the national assembly leadership under Senate President Godswill Akpabio was a recognition of the president’s performance since taking office.
“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,” Argungu added.
The APC official contrasted the party’s position with that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which he said had printed “just one form” for then-President Goodluck Jonathan as its sole aspirant in 2014.
Argungu also pointed to the APC’s recent electoral performance, highlighting victories in 13 out of 16 contested by-election seats, which he described as evidence of continued public confidence in the ruling party.
