The Coalition of United Political Parties has blasted the declaration by the ruling All Progressives Congress that the race to its presidential ticket in 2027 is open.
CUPP recently described the decision as a “false open contest” aimed at deceiving party members.
Speaking to the press, the National Secretary of CUPP, Mr Peter Ameh, said that such a declaration makes no sense after the party’s endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for 2027.
According to him, the APC’s open ticket stance is a calculated attempt to mislead unsuspecting aspirants and exploit their ambitions for financial gain.
He stated that endorsing Tinubu casts major doubt on the fairness and transparency of the party’s primary process.
“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,” he said.
Also reacting, the National Publicity Secretary of the Social Democratic Party, Mr Rufus Aiyenigba, accused the ruling party of imposition and godfatherism.
He concluded by saying that APC has proven to be a party that stifles democracy by depriving members of the freedom to fight for its presidential ticket.
“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,” he added.
