Oyegun: How We Will Sell APC in 2019
Absolves party of blame in board appointments controversy
National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, said yesterday in Abuja that the party would deploy its achievements as selling points in the 2019 general elections. Odigie-Oyegun stated this when he hosted correspondents at his residence. He also said APC was not to blame for the mix-up in the list of heads and members of boards of federal parastatals recently released by the federal government, which
had names of dead persons.
Underscoring the intense political activities expected this year in the build up to the poll next year, the APC national chairman said the party would be prompt and vigorous in its preparation for the election.
He said, "I will resume on Monday and we are going to hit the ground running. We all know that this year is obviously going to be an active year for elections."
Odigie-Oyegun disclosed that the preparation process would start with the party’s national convention this year to elect a new leadership, after the state congresses. He said APC’s selling point ahead of 2019 was its achievements in the various sectors, including power, rail infrastructure and agriculture.
The APC chairman stated, “I can say emphatically that the polity is settling down. I can say that the economy is recovering strongly and is clearly out of recession. I can say emphatically that in the practical areas that promote development, as distinct from roads, the policy of the party and its implementation are firmly well-grounded, whether you are talking of power supply without which no nation can develop, it has stabilised.
“There is still room for improvement. I am not saying that the problem has been entirely solved, but the commitment to the completion of the Mambila Power plant, which will contribute a third or half of our needs, is a major step forward. The bringing back on steam of projects that had been abandoned in the sector has contributed to raising the generation capacity to what it is today, about 6,000 to 7,000 megawatts.
"Also the strengthening of the distribution facilities is ongoing, so power will continue to grow both in terms generation capacity and ability to deliver it to consumers. What, indeed, the Buhari administration has achieved is that it has stabilised the situation. It has started the process of substantial growth in power generation and distribution sectors.
"Secondly, it has started the revolution of developing functional railway transportation. It is railway transport that can kick start a meaningful industrial development in any nation.”
Odigie-Oyegun absolved APC of responsibility for the inclusion of dead persons in board appointments, but reiterated the presidency’s excuse that the list of the appointees was prepared since 2015. He explained, “We have followed the issue of board appointments and I think that issue has raised a lot controversy already. The only thing I want to add is that it is pretty obvious that the party was not involved in the final stages of the compilation of that list.
"Yes, we sent at the initial stage and I am talking of a period of two years ago. We demanded for every state to make 50 nominations which were sent to the committee in charge of the list for the purpose. They completed the initial exercise that time but since then a lot has happened. People have changed parties, people have died, we have three new governors that were not there when the list was compiled. Therefore, it was clear that there was obvious need for us to look at the final outcome of the exercise.
"But we were not fortunate to participate in that final stage, otherwise, it is quite clear such would not have occurred. It is my sincere hope that we will be fully involved in the review that has to now take place and any other exercise moving forward from this date.”