The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has stated that, despite the overwhelming endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in office, party stalwarts angling for his seat will be allowed to contest for the party’s presidential ticket in the primary election.
APC’s National Organising Secretary, Mr. Sulaiman Mohammad Argungu, stated this on Wednesday during an interactive session with journalists at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
Argungu reiterated the decision by the top echelon of the party, comprising the National Working Committee (NWC), the Senator Hope Uzodinma-led Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), and the Senator Godswill Akpabio-led leadership of the National Assembly, to endorse President Tinubu for a second term in office due to his sterling performance in office.
Nevertheless, he said, as a party that strongly adheres to the ideals of democracy, the party will not shut its doors to anybody bent on snatching the ticket from President Tinubu at the party primaries.
“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 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.”
The Sokoto-born politician spoke in reaction to the question of whether the APC would emulate the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which printed just one form and reserved it specially for the then-President Goodluck Jonathan to vie as the sole Presidential aspirant in October 2014.
Recall that, at the time, Dr Abdul Jelil, the son of Nigeria’s late Prime Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, attempted to purchase his expression of interest and nomination forms to challenge the decision of the PDP NEC to participate in the Presidential primary election, but his efforts were thwarted as the doors were closed behind him and he was told to leave.
