By Olasupo Ayodeji

My idea of making the Yobe state governor, Mai Mala Buni the Chairman of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) earlier is indeed what the party should have followed from the beginning. But overwhelmed by other considerations, including zoning, party regulations, the party had to do with less qualified options until proven. I see his reign as better late than never for the APC.

Blessed with adorable leadership qualities, one will never be surprised how he is bringing the ruling party back to its feet after it missed its steps earlier and was falling off its track.

As a governor who gave hope to his people and and reinvigorated them after the malice by the Boko Haram, definitely it is never difficult for him to have set the APC along the path of success again.

It is on record that as a governor in a state that was devastated by terrorism, he facilitated the return of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). He reconstructed their houses and also provided them with livelihood support packages.

Yobe state along with African Development Bank under the Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement, and Livelihood Improvement Support, APPEALS, Project has distributed livelihood support packages to over 5,000 IDPs.

With all these commitments in his state, he is one of the few state governors that has not only paid salaries to workers as and at when due, but does not also owe contractors a dime.

There is need for reference to be made to his support for the education and health sectors in his state. He spent 2.1 billion Naira for the construction of seven model primary schools in different locations of the state in 2020. This is with the aim of decongesting schools in the urban areas.

In the health sector, the Yobe state government has since constructed 53 out of 178 proposed functional Primary Healthcare Centers with facilities including laboratories, pharmacies, Males and Females wards as well as housing quarters for the personnel posted to work in the communities.

It is never surprising that such prowess is being displayed by Buni in his position as the Chairman Caretaker Committee of the APC. He has been described by admirers as “the Defector General” of APC. This is simply because of his ability to win over major politicians in the country from the opposition to the ruling APC including some state governors.

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This piece will not be complete if the ability of Buni to tame the storm heightened by some party chieftains when they observed some presumed illegality. Responding in this light the Kebbi state Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu stated that “The Supreme Court upheld the finding of the Court of Appeal that the CECPC ‘was set up to act on behalf of the National Executive Committee to temporarily carry out the function of the National Working Committee (NWC) until new members were democratically elected’.

“The Supreme Court upheld further the ruling of the Court of Appeal that ‘it is evident that the said Governor Mai Mala Buni was appointed only in an acting capacity temporarily to temporarily carry out and fill in the seat of the National Chairman of the party pending the elections of new members.”

The APC is now standing with its shoulders high with confidence that it is heading towards forming another government come 2023, but not without the hope given it by its caretaker chairman Mai Mala Buni.

It is such that if most members of the APC are asked to select between Buni continuing as Yobe state Governor and becoming the National Chairman of the APC, they will no doubt vote him to become the National Chairman became of the prowess he has exhibited. The exemplary benchmark he had set is indeed a ‘political miracle’ because many have already predicted that the APC was gone when Adams Oshomole was unseated from chairmanship. Buni proved them wrong by bringing the party back to life and back to reality.

One would presume that Buni was trained by the likes of late Waziri Ibrahim them it comes to arbitration, consultation, diplomacy and mediation with the way he has been ‘winning’ back prominent politicians to the party and resolving internal squabbles among aggrieved members thereby giving hope.

Preceding the 2019 elections, the APC was overwhelmed by internal tension that brought down the party leadership. This gave birth to the current caretaker committee with Buni as the the chairman but not without tension also. But in the long run the 53 year old politician has become a blessing to the party as the party is now getting ready to welcome more high profile politicians from other parties. Indeed Mai Mala Buni is a blessing to the APC.