Members of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had a meeting behind closed doors with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Defence House Maitama, Abuja on Tuesday, June 2, 2015.
The APC members were led to the meeting by the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.
Chief Odigie-Oyegun later told journalists that the group made the visit in order to pledge their loyalty to the President and express their commitment to work with amicably.
He said Buhari could always depend on the party for support.
The chairman of the party noted the fact that Nigerians’ expectations were very high for this government and that the public expects a lot:
“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.
Speaking about the list of ministerial nominees, he 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.”
On the criticism arising from the President’s decision to declare his assets privately contrary to his electoral promise, the APC chairman said only President Buhari himself could answer the question.
He however assured that the process leading to the election of principal officers of the National Assembly would be crisis-free.
“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 was a key election issue saying that the insurgents were only trying to test the President’s resolve.
“There is nothing like lives, he was elected to protect Nigerian lives and that is even his first priority,” he added expressing confidence that the insurgents would soon be defeated.
