President Muhammadu Buhari says he is not bothered about the defections in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The President said this on Sunday during an interactive session with the Nigerian community in Togo at the Nigerian Embassy, Lome.

“I am not bothered about the defections,” he said, adding that, “Ordinary Nigerians have developed confidence in us and are defending us. I assure you, the majority of Nigerians back home are appreciative of our efforts.”

According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President while addressing the Nigerian community in Togo blamed the poor power situation in the country on corruption.

Buhari believes that Nigerians would not be complaining today if past governments had utilised 25 per cent of the huge oil revenue available to them.

The President’s comments come a week after some lawmakers dumped the ruling APC for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

Last week Tuesday, 14 Senators including Dino Melaye, former Governor of Kano Rabiu Kwankwaso declared their intention to quit APC, under whose platform they were elected.

But Buhari promised Nigerians in Togo not to be disturbed by the development ahead of the 2019 general election that is barely 200 days away.

He, however, reiterated his administration’s commitment in fulfilling its campaign promises, three years into power.

The President assured them that the Federal Government “had remained steadfast in keeping to its three campaign promises of providing security, improving the economy and fighting corruption.”

On the issue of recovered loots, Buhari said, “all recovered illegally acquired assets would now be sold and the money paid into the treasury in the administration’s renewed anti-graft campaign.”

In his welcome address, the Nigerian Ambassador to Togo, Joseph Olusola Iji, told the President of the inability of the Nigerian Mission in Lome to issue Nigerian passports.

The situation, he explained, has forced applicants to go to Ghana or the Benin Republic.

The President’s entourage on his trip to Togo include Governors Ben Ayade of Cross River and his Niger State counterpart, Abubakar Bello, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama and his Defence colleague, Mansur Dan-Ali.

Others include Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau; the Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar; the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno; and the Chief of Defence Staff; Abayomi Olonisakin.

Also, the Director-General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Rufai Abubakar and the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele were with the President.

• Culled from a Channels TV report