The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) have sharply criticised the All Progressives Congress (APC) over its declaration that the 2027 presidential ticket remains open to all members despite its endorsement of President Bola Tinubu.
The ruling party’s National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, had stated on Wednesday that the APC would not bar any aspirant interested in contesting against Tinubu for the presidency.
“We will definitely not close our doors (to 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,” Argungu said during an interactive session with journalists in Abuja.
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He added, “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, which is why we roundly endorsed him recently.”
However, the National Secretary of CUPP, Peter Ameh, described Argungu’s assertion as a deliberate ploy to mislead aspirants and exploit their ambitions for financial gain.
“The public endorsement of President Tinubu by recognised party organs effectively signals that the outcome of the APC presidential primary is predetermined,” Ameh said.
“Such actions cast doubt on the fairness and transparency of the party’s primary process, as the endorsement creates a significant bias in favour of the incumbent.”
He further criticised the invitation for aspirants to purchase nomination forms, saying it risked deceiving hopeful candidates into investing resources in a contest “where the outcome appears to be cast in stone.”
“This approach not only undermines the principles of democracy but also portrays the APC as prioritising revenue generation over fostering a level playing field for all aspirants. It erodes public trust in the party’s commitment to a free and fair selection process and raises questions about its dedication to upholding democratic values,” Ameh added.
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Similarly, Rufus Aiyenigba, National Publicity Secretary of the SDP, accused the APC of stifling internal democracy and depriving members of the freedom to participate fully in the presidential primaries.
“It is not a surprise that internal democracy is being stifled within the APC and members are deprived of the freedom of participation in the process of their primaries for the presidential ticket,” Aiyenigba said.
He described the ruling party as being defined by imposition and godfatherism, but emphasised that the SDP’s reputation as the “party of the people” stood in contrast.
“The SDP, as the nation’s bastion of democracy, is known for robust democratic processes in its operations. The party is reputed and highly loved by the people for its usual open contests for its presidential ticket and will certainly demonstrate, once again, that fine quality in determining who flies its flag in 2027,” he said.
Meanwhile, Timothy Osadolor, a member of the National Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), accused the APC of “playing to the gallery.”
According to him, inviting APC members to feel free to contest the presidency despite Tinubu’s endorsement by various party organs was “the height of deceit.”
