APC was in a chaotic state two years ago when Governor Mai Mala Buni was invited, against his personal wish and desire, to take charge of its affairs as Chairman of the Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC). High handedness, intense political squabbling and maladministration had set the ruling party well on the path to self-destruction, until his CECPC colleagues came to the rescue.
Current efforts by ambitious party people to rubbish the Buni legacy cannot wish away some landmark achievements, of which I must mention a few. CECPC under Governor Buni undertook the process of intra-party reconciliation with visits to founding members of the party, including Chief Bisi Akande and Ahmed Bola Tinubu, who blessed the caretaker committee and expressed confidence in its capacity to truly rescue and reposition the party.
Under Buni’s leadership, CECPC constituted various committees and embarked on reconciliation of all aggrieved persons, stakeholders and groups in order to give all the parties a sense of fair hearing. As a well-known team player, he gave responsibilities to key party stakeholders and promoted inclusiveness and sense of belonging in members.
Many party members who left out of annoyance and frustration were persuaded by Buni to return to the party. He made many others who were trying to leave to stay drop the idea. Most memorably, Buni’s leadership brought into APC three serving state governors, an unparalleled feat in Nigeria’s political history.
Some people created much hullabaloo about elongation of the CECPC’s tenure but conveniently fail to add that with each extension, Governor Buni brought in a serving governor with millions of his supporters.
Governors Dave Umahi of Ebonyi, Prof. Ben Ayade of Cross River State and Bello Mohammed Mutawalle of Zamfara State were all big catches that Buni made for APC, along with millions of their supporters. What else does a party want more than to attract millions of new members, which is the key to winning future elections?
Other prominent members who joined the party include Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Sen. Stella Oduah, 11 Anambra State lawmakers, House of Reps members from Benue and Taraba states, etc. PDP Board of Trustees member Sen. Joy Emordi also joined the party.
Flooding APC with defectors aside, Governor Mai Mala Buni-led APC also conducted a successful membership registration and revalidation exercise. Today the party has 41 million registered members and is still counting, the registration exercise being a continuous process. Which other major party in Nigeria knows the number of its members? I however exclude some fringe parties, who know all their party members because they can be counted with the fingers.
APC under Buni promoted youth inclusiveness by organizing a spectacular Youth Summit, which assembled representatives of youths from across all the wards in the country. Buni also organized a women conference to mobilise youth and women for the 2023 elections.
Buni’s commitment to the party is unparalleled by any of the stakeholders fighting his administration. The gains made by Mai Mala Buni for the All Progressives Congress in the last 19 months cannot and will not be wished away. With just 12 months to the general election, such a conspiracy will only breed more troubles for the party.
Conspiracies and back stabbing by ambitious colleagues are a great threat to the chances of the party in the 2023 general election. A stitch in time, saves nine.
Habib can be reached on ahabib23@gmail.com
