APC Admits ‘Challenging’ 2017, Promises ‘Brighter’ 2018

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has assured Nigerians of better days in 2018, following the challenges the people faced in the outgoing year.

The party said this in a statement signed on Sunday by its National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, with less than few hours to the end of 2017.

In its New Year message, the APC thanked Nigerians for supporting President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and asked them to be hopeful of brighter days ahead.

They also called on the people to join the Federal Government in its bid to build a new Nigeria and complement the efforts to tackle corruption and other challenges facing the nation.

According to the APC, President Buhari has recorded a number of achievements since he assumed office in 2015 in line with the party’s campaign promises to the people.

Read full statement below;

Our great Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) welcomes all Nigerians to the 2018 New Year.

2017 was indeed an eventful, yet challenging one for many Nigerians. We thank Nigerians for their continuous support and prayers for the President Muhammadu Buhari administration and indeed the Party. We urge Nigerians to collectively look to the New Year 2018 with renewed optimism and vigour. Brighter days are ahead of us.

Indeed, the collective task before us is converting our country’s potential – derived from size, demography, human, and natural resources – to greatness. While the task may seem onerous, it is achievable. With the right ethics, morality, attitudes, and priorities, we will get out of our current societal morass that has found expression in our economic challenges, bad politics, ethno-religious divisions and other negative aspects of our national life, sooner than skeptics believe is possible.

We are acutely aware of our current national challenges, particularly on the economy. However, we assure Nigerians that the administration is not asleep, but working assiduously to address these challenges and meet the expectations of Nigerians. We remain focused and solidly committed to delivering on our Party’s 2015 election promises which were largely hinged on curbing corruption, restoring the economy and the security of the nation.

Happily, the President Buhari administration is making good progress and already delivering on many fronts such as restoring our country to its deserved standing among the comity of progressive nations; fighting corruption and repairing our value system; diversifying our economic revenue base, creating jobs and economic opportunities for Nigerians; bringing succour to the insurgency-ravaged North-East; reforming the oil, defence, pensions, and other critical sectors; creating a world-class transport system, among others.

We can only downplay the ramifications of corruption at our peril. Corruption has for long enabled its perpetrators to divert resources for delivering development to the citizenry and as a result bred discontent, which religious bigots and ethnic jingoists take advantage of to create insecurity and other societal malaise. Therefore, the solution is the enthronement and entrenchment of quality and accountable leadership in governance.

We should continue to support the administration’s development efforts for the country. The Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) should be supported by all as a basis for realising social inclusion objectives, such as employment generation and eradication of poverty and inequality. Such safety net initiatives as the Home Grown School Feeding Programme, conditional cash transfer scheme, and N-Power will guarantee that the poor and vulnerable directly benefit from economic development.

Let us join in the effort to build a more vibrant nation that every Nigerian will be proud of. Let us join and support the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration in the ongoing task of building a new Nigeria for our progress, peace, unity, and prosperity.

Once again, our great Party sends warmest greetings to all Nigerians on the occasion of the 2018 New Year.