The Coalition of United Political Parties has described the declaration by the ruling All Progressives Congress that the race to its presidential ticket in 2027 is open to members of the party despite the endorsement of President Bola Tinubu as a “False open contest,” aimed at deceiving the people.

The National Secretary of CUPP, Mr Peter Ameh, made this known in an exclusive interview with our correspondent on Friday.

PUNCH Online reports that APC’s National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, had on Wednesday at an interactive session with journalists in Abuja, said the party would not shut its doors against any member interested in vying for the sole ticket against Tinubu.

“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 people of the country and that he deserves a second term in office when we roundly endorsed him recently,” Argungu was quoted as saying.

However, in a swift reaction, Ameh, described Argungu’s comment as “A calculated attempt to mislead unsuspecting aspirants and exploit their ambitions for financial gain.”

He added, “The public endorsement of President Tinubu by recognised party organs effectively signals that the outcome of the APC presidential primary is predetermined. 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.

“Inviting other aspirants to purchase nomination forms under these circumstances risks deceiving them 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.”

Also speaking with our correspondent in a telephone interview on Friday, the National Publicity Secretary of the Social Democratic Party, Mr Rufus Aiyenigba, said the ruling party, by its antics, is becoming notorious for imposition and godfatherism.

He said, “It’s not a surprise that internal democracy is being stifled within APC and members are deprived of the freedom of participation in the process of their primaries for their presidential ticket.

“Nigerians are familiar with the fact that imposition and godfatherism are the defining characteristics of the APC. But the good news is that the undemocratic value of the ruling party does not in any way define our democracy as a nation.

“The SDP, as the nation’s bastion of democracy and the party for the Nigerian people, 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.”

Meanwhile, in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Friday, a member of the National Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, Timothy Osadolor, accused the ruling party of playing to the gallery.

According to him, urging APC members to feel free to join the presidential contest despite Tinubu’s endorsement by the various organs of the party is the height of deceit.

*”This is what you get when people engage their mouth before their head- the tendency is there to overshoot. That comment by that APC Organising Secretary is the most unfortunate statement to have been made.

“He (Argungu) is trying to mock the sensibilities of would-be APC aspirants whose fate has already been sealed. He is robbing it on their faces. This is the height of mischief and insincerity,” Osadolor stated. (The PUNCH)