Buhari is just cautious and not slow – APC chairman

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has dismissed insinuations that the APC-led government under President Mohammadu Buhari is slow in fulfilling its campaign promises and making relevant appointments.

Odigie-Oyegun, who stated this in an interview with journalists on Monday in Benin, the Edo State capital, said rather than not being fast enough, both the party and the President were being "deliberate and cautious‎" in their actions because it was the first time the country was being led by the progressives, since it gained independence in 1960.
‎He explained that the ruling party needed individuals who had passion and understood the requirements for implementing its manifesto.

He dismissed reports reports that some ministerial nominees failed corruption test by security agencies, adding that the ministers to be appointed by Buhari would be a combination of politicians and technocrats.

He said, "The government is not slow. It is cautious, it is deliberate. It is good we go with deliberate steps, make a few mistakes as possible in the appointments that will need to come. That process is nearing its end. Activities people thought were slow are taking place. Some aspects of our promises is already under way. Implementations of some of the party's promises are underway.

"There was the need, given that this is our first experience in governance, to be cautious. There was the need because of the totally different nature of our manifestos and social welfare programme we promised to the people, that those he wants to bring to execute these programmes are totally different; that they understand, they are passionate and have ideas about what is required to be done."

The national chairman, however, faulted the allegations of the Peoples Democratic Party that the APC was on a witch-hunt of its members, arguing that the operation of the Department of State Services at the residence of the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), was based on the office he held as a public officer.

 
While stating that APC was concerned with meeting the expectations of Nigerians, Odigie-Oyegun urged the opposition party to "put itself together." "We don't have time for the PDP yet. We are busy now to put our government on the ground and start expanding to the yearnings of the Nigerian people.

"PDP has not put itself together yet. They are no source of concern to anybody. Dasuki was a public officer. He was not a PDP member,"‎ he added.