After the 2019 general elections, the dissolution of the All Progressives Congress, APC, national working committee created fracas within the party. This gave birth to the present caretaker committee. It was seen as the beginning of a new problem in the party, but that problem has now become a blessing in disguise. It is a known fact that Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State is not just a state governor; he is also the Chairman of the Caretaker-Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee of the APC.
Buni was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the party leader in the country, after having confidence in the governor who had served in that capacity momentarily, when the party was in a fix. Buni worked tirelessly and successfully towards uniting the party and placing it on a proper pedestal. He succeeded in converting about three governors into the APC who were hitherto in the People Democratic Party. The governors are David Umahi of Ebonyi State, Ben Ayade of Cross River and lately Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State. Remarkably so, Buni also lured prominent politicians into the APC fold, just as many other ‘strategic move’ is in the pipeline to win the hearts of many other politicians.
Some of these politicians included a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and many others who are yet to make their pronouncements public, like a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, whose body language has since told Nigerians that he is more at home in the APC than his present closet called PDP.
The political reorganization and strengthening set in motion by Mai Mala Buni has put the APC in a better position to consolidate on previous successes. A bolstered Progressives Governors Forum and healthier advantage in the National Assembly make easier the task of spreading the gospel of the APC progressive agenda. The party is gaining new ground; the PDP is losing where defeat was never believed possible.
Another very strident move by the Buni-led leadership of the APC is the initiation of party membership registration and revalidation. Such much was widely seen as a stratagem towards making the APC a formidable political platform beyond its perceived dooms’ day, that 2023.
In fact, in March 2021, Buni was reported as saying that his leadership was working towards making the APC retain power for at least 32 years.
Speaking while inaugurating the party’s 61-member Contact and Strategy Committee, at the APC National Secretariat, in Abuja, Buni said the party needed to be in power to consolidate on the delivery of the dividends of democracy which it has been delivering since 2015.
Buni said: “The constitution of the Strategy and Contact committee therefore, is to consolidate the achievements we are making in building a strong party with a solid structure that would accomplish APC to stand the test of time.
“Our vision is to provide a wheel that will drive the party to go beyond 6th, 7th and even 8th terms of office to effectively implement the party manifesto, improve the lives of Nigerians and, to remain Nigeria’s leading political party.
“This committee is therefore very key to our process of transition towards successful congresses and national convention and, to establish a very solid, reputable and reliable future for the party.”
These submissions are prophetic, in that there is no visible iota of doubt that Buni and his Midas Touch will continue to solidify the APC beyond the 2023 perceived dooms day as I said earlier.
In a short period of time, due to his consistent efforts, he has arguably emerged as the most influential man in the party. In the past, there were too many people who have asserted claim to that position. Many have feared that after Buhari, there won’t be APC, but Governor Buni seems to challenge such assumptions. Such an inspiring figure for the APC!
He is diligently creating an image of strength for the party, and he does so without intimidation but with diplomacy and tende
