Whenever we are taking about contemporary issues in Nigeria, we must mention insecurity, kidnappings, banditry, ethno-religious crises, farmers/herders clashes, among others, and we cannot deny the fact that intolerance amongst the citizens is one of the major causes of the menace in Nigeria.
It’s sad and disheartening that the issue of tribal clashes is still happening in Nigeria despite the fact that the country got its independence for almost 5-6 decades with the motto “Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress” but the question here is; where is the unity and faith if you will attack your fellow country man without committing any crime?
It has been said that Nigeria is a giant of Africa and therefore we need to act as a giant country so that others will imitate our own lifestyle.
The truth is that; we must be careful in choosing a leader in the forthcoming election considering how the situation is deteriorating with all the efforts President Muhammadu Buhari is making for maintaining the unity and peace of this country.
I must say that people like the Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe state must come out and contest in 2023 presidential election if we really want our peace to reign observing how good the man is in resolving conflict. The controversial decamp of the former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani Kayode, is still fresh in our memory.
We must say that the man Mai Mala Buni is unique amongst today’s politicians and quite diplomatic in nature, who is not lagging behind in consultation and finding out remedy.
It’s, indeed, one of the qualities of a leader to embrace indifferences, ending the blame game and eschew bitterness and of course being tolerance, there’s no doubt to this assertion that this is what the Governor Mai Mala Buni is doing to silence his critics.
On June 25, 2020, Mala Buni was appointed as the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and he promised to carry all tendencies along in order to restore peace to the party. This was after reminding the journalist that he was being a two-time National Secretary of the party, and he knows the party very well and assured every APC member that they’ll do justice to everyone because he has a capable team.
He said: “I am a team player and I am here to manage a crisis and if you do not manage crisis, crisis will manage you so without justice there will be no peace, so I am ready to do justice to every APC member”.
It was also amazing that Buni went to the secretariat in accompany of some APC governors including Yahaya Bello of Kogi state, Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Sani Bello (Niger), Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna), Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi) and Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), which is something unusual among our politicians considering the political derby and this has clearly pictured that Buni is someone that is friendly and embraced by all.
Recently, APC caucus reappointed Mai Mala Buni as caretaker national chairman for the next six months; but here I have to say that, why not endorse him as the presidential candidate of the party ahead of 2023 election?
Permit me to say that, Mai Mala Buni is an expert when it comes to conflict resolution. We cannot deny the fact that since assumption to the office as the Caretaker National Chairman of the APC he managed crises and also silenced its members from making critics.
The decamping of Ebonyi state Governor, Dave Umahi, former Speaker of House of Representatives, Rt. Yakubu Dogara, Senator Ishaku Abbo of Adamawa state and the likes is a great sign that Mai Mala Buni will manage well Nigeria as we all know that he is good in convincing people and he has listening ears to worthy advice, suggestions and those qualities will help him in promoting peace and unity of the country.
He also said during his inaugural speech as the Governor of Yobe state that: “There will be no room for distractions or diversions and other sentiments or promotion of personal interest against the collective interest of the people of Yobe”. I believed that he will apply same when elected as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Mai Mala Buni’s uniqueness in conflict resolution has turned Yobe state to one party system and ended the internal crisis in his party, It’s obvious that anybody who will eschew bitterness and rumor mongering will definitely succeed in running the affairs of his administration and there’s no doubt he is unique in negotiation, mediation, mediation-arbitration, diplomacy and creative peace builder.
Astonishingly, I observe that Hon. Mai Mala Buni silenced some popular critics in the party like Sen. Kabiru Marafa and APC National Vice Chairman Northeast, Comr. Mustapha Salihu, and I believed that if the caucus of the party will endorse him as President Muhammad Buhari’s successor, the party will remain united.
I also believe that Mai Mala Buni will address and manage the lingering Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, rampant kidnappings and create employment opportunities, youth empowerment, tackle corruption and many more in the country as people of Yobe state witnessed since he resumed into office.
Let’s pray, think and rethink in making this dream a reality.
Gulani writes from Maiduguri, Borno state
