New Service Chiefs: Oyegun Explains Why No Igbo Man Was Appointed

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie Oyegun, has opened up on the accusations by some sections of the country that President Muhammadu Buhari is biased when it comes to appointments. 

In an interview with Vanguard in his residence in Benin, Edo state, the former governor of the old Bendel state defended the president’s actions, even as he said there are many appointments to come.

When asked about the lack of appointments for the South-East and South-South region so far by the president, the chairman of the ruling party opined that the issue of appointment is not a competition between regions.

He said, “Why does the public think that if you appoint three people it must be balanced when, in fact you are just at the elementary stage of appointments? They should hold their breath for a little time to come.

“The ministerial list has not come, the chairmanship of boards has not come, there are so many first rate appointments that are still coming down the line, the ones that has happened are more or less specialized, they are more or less appointments that have some degree of severity governance around them.

“If you talk about the security agencies, you must pay due attention to the requirement of this time, the reality of the security situation in the country.

“So it is unfair to make three appointments, everybody expects to see one from A, one from B, one from C; no, it is the total package. It is when the total package is presented that you will now start looking at who is in what ministry, the status of the ministry and the caliber of the ministry. It is then you can really now make a fair assessment. It is still too early and the appointments we have made now are too specialized for us to jump to that kind of conclusion.

Meanwhile, about 41 members of the APC in Akwa Ibom state have been suspended over misconduct and anti-party activities.This was announced on Wednesday, July 23, by the newly elected publicity secretary of the party, Mr. Ita Awak.

In a related development, there are strong indications that the leadership of the APC and the National Working Committee of the party may sanction some of its members over the ongoing crisis rocking the National Assembly.