The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that despite the widespread endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term, the party will not bar other aspirants from contesting its 2027 presidential ticket.

The party’s National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Mohammad Argungu, made this known on Wednesday during an interactive session with journalists at the APC national secretariat in Abuja.

Argungu noted that the party’s leadership, including the National Working Committee, the Progressives Governors Forum led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma, and the National Assembly leadership under Senate President Godswill Akpabio, had endorsed Tinubu for re-election in recognition of his performance in office.

He, however, stressed that the APC remains committed to internal democracy and would allow any qualified member to vie for the ticket in a free and open primary.

“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.

“We never said we had locked the door. We are only telling people that we appreciate what the President is doing for the country and that he deserves a second term in office, which is why we endorsed him recently,” Argungu explained.

He was reacting to questions on whether the APC would adopt the model used by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2014, when it printed only one nomination form for then-President Goodluck Jonathan as its sole presidential aspirant.

On the party’s performance in the recent by-elections, Argungu credited APC’s victory in 13 out of 16 contested seats to divine grace and the collective effort of the party’s leaders, members, and supporters.

“This is a remarkable achievement and a reaffirmation of the confidence Nigerians continue to repose in the APC,” he said. “These victories are not just statistics; they reflect the trust Nigerians place in our capacity to deliver purposeful leadership and good governance.”