Olushola Omogbehin
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared that in spite of the widespread endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in office, other party members interested in the presidency will still be free to contest for the party’s ticket during the primaries.
The party’s National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Mohammad Argungu, made this known on Wednesday at an interactive session with journalists at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
He said that the leadership of the party, the National Working Committee, the Progressives Governors Forum and the National Assembly leadership, had endorsed President Tinubu for re-election in recognition of his excellent performance.
Argungu however noted that APC, being a party that is committed to democratic principles, would not deprive any candidate from competing the party ticked with Tinubu.
“We will definitely not close our doors (other Presidential aspirants). 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.”
In reaction to the party’s performance in the recent by-election, the APC National Organising Secretary attributed the victory recorded by the party to the grace of Almighty Allah and the dedication of the party’s leaders, members, and supporters across the country.
“This is a remarkable achievement and a reaffirmation of the confidence Nigerians continue to repose in the APC.
“These victories are not just statistics; they are a reaffirmation of the trust Nigerians continue to place in the APC. They demonstrate the strength, resilience, and growing acceptance of our party nationwide.
“They reflect the belief of the Nigerian people in our capacity to deliver purposeful leadership and good governance.”
