National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met behind closed doors with members of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress inside the Defence House, Maitama, Abuja.

The President’s guests were led to the meeting by the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

Odigie-Oyegun later told journalists that they decided to embark on the visit in order to pledge their loyalty to the President and express their determination to work with him through thick and thin.

He said Buhari could always depend on the party which he used as a platform to become the President.

Odigie-Oyegun added that the party noted the fact that Nigerians’ expectations were extremely high and that the public expects a totally new dawn.
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He said, “On that note, we told him we are with him and that he will succeed because the entire party will be galvanised as one man behind him to ensure that days into this Presidency that Nigerians will indeed see that things are changing.

“All the problems cannot be solved in one day but what Nigerians want is to be sure that we are getting it right and that we are on the proper path towards addressing their long frustration towards ameliorating their condition and that is what they will get.”

The party boss said they had frank discussions and the President was appreciative of their declaration of support.

He added that Buhari briefed the party chiefs on one or two issues and they were quite pleased with the way things were going.

On how long Nigerians would have to wait for the list of ministerial nominees, Odigie-Oyegun said, “All I can say is that Mr. President is committed to carrying the party along in everything that he does and we are very grateful for that.

“He has always been like that, he has put the party in the front burner in all the things he does at all times and he has continued to do that.”

When asked to comment on the criticism trailing the decision of the President to declare his assets privately contrary to his electoral promise, the APC chairman said only Buhari himself could answer the question.

He however expressed the belief that the process leading to the election of principal officers of the National Assembly would not lead to crisis.

“There will be no crisis. I want to give you that assurance. We are very conscious of the fact that the National Assembly is a separate arm of government and the constitution provides that they are the ones responsible for electing their own officers, all we have to do is provide for them a conducive environment of doing just that,” he said.

On security, Odigie-Oyegun said the issue kept recurring during electioneering, saying that the insurgents were only trying to test the President’s resolve.

He expressed belief that they (the insurgents) would soon be defeated.

“There is nothing like lives, he was elected to protect Nigerian lives and that is even his first priority,” he added.