The All Progressives Congress (APC) has admitted that things are things are difficult economically.

However, the party said the diversification efforts of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration would, in a few years, yield fruits that would make Nigeria be counted as one of the industrial power houses in Africa.

National Chairman of the party, John Odigie-Oyegun also said the present administration was building a new economic model which he said would be sustainable, production-based and would diversify from oil to agriculture, solid minerals and other viable sectors, Punch reports.

Odigie-Oyegun said this at the party’s National Secretariat on Thursday when he received political leaders from Delta Central Senatorial District, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC. The defectors were led by a former Commissioner in the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission, Johnson Boro.

Other defectors who came with him were the immediate past PDP Chairman, Ughelli South Local Government Area, Francis Aguonigho; Sleek Oshare; Isaiah Kekeje, Mathew Kwode, Robert Ojo, Sunny Ogbududu, David Edonor, Saturday Nukueye and Charles Otaiye.

Oyegun said, “Economically, things are difficult; there is no question about it. But in spite of that, people of your quality sat down and still want to join the boat because you have seen the future and you know the future belongs to a changed country. A country that produces, not only consumes.

“In the last 16 years of previous administrations, we just consumed. Thank God this nation brought President Buhari at the point it was about to collapse and all we are doing today is putting the pieces back together again.

“It is a difficult experience and as a result of that our people are going through some hardship. But there is no question at all that you can see the silver lining that is on the way.

“By the end of this year, we will be net exporters of rice. Today we have started formally to export yam. Today we are about certain that all the grains in this country can be produced locally. These are all parts of the building blocks towards the Nigeria that we foresee in another year or two.”

While welcoming the new members to the APC, Odigie-Oyegun said one of the resolutions of the party’s national leadership was “to bring the South-South back into the mainstream of Nigerian politics.”

He described the zone as one of the “strongest pillars for unity” in the country.

Omoleye Omoruyi

Omoleye Omoruyi… an apprentice web/game developer, novelist, sensitive to happenings in the world. Meet him @Lord_rickie on Twitter/Instagram