‘Mr. Electronic Voting’ Makes a Bold Bid for APC National Chairmanship

Nseobong Okon-Ekong writes that the race for the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress may have entered a high wire season with the interest shown by Senator Mohammed Sani Musa from Niger State

A few days after the life of the Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State-led Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was extended for the umpteenth time, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa revved the engine of his campaign for the office of National Chairman of the party, a move he hitherto kept within his circle of close friends and political associates. Now, that it has become clear that the Caretaker committee is close to the end of its assignment, there should be no tip-toeing about his political aspiration.

Senator Musa, the serving senator representing Niger East Senatorial District parades excellent professional and educational credentials. He believes he is the right man for the job. Exhibiting an unblemished record in his distinguished career both in the public and private service, since 1986, Senator Musa is a passionate ICT oriented person. To his credit, he developed and promoted Electronic Voting for the first time in Nigeria. This manifested in the introduction of Card Reader and Permanent Voters Card (PVC), the revolutionary steps is the instrumental to the transformation of political party election in Nigeria by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2015 and 2019.

“I am a person with proven integrity,” said the Senator basking in the glory of the game changing experience that his innovative electronic devices brought to election in Nigeria. “My experience in private and public sectors, the capacity required to manage diverse people and interests irrespective of tribe, religion and region is already imbibed by me. I am a mobilizer, a bridge builder and a strategist that is passionate about wholesome development of the nation. I possess a strong interpersonal skill by demonstrating the utmost discretion and integrity in all of my dealings.”

In 2015, Musa went through a trying period for which he believes he will yet be recommended for National Honour. He narrated the incident. “My integrity was brought to test in 2015 when I was arrested and detained and later induced with financial and material gift to compromise the 2015 general election by revealing the confidential information on the Card Reader, but for my believe and stand for the nation, I refused to compromise and the success of the 2015 general election was celebrated across the globe. My zeal and determination is always to get the best for Nigeria and Nigerians.”

An indigene of Paikoro Local Government Area in Niger State, Musa can be said to have sharpened his interest in serving the public during his tenure as President of the Zodia Club, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria between 1988 and 1989. He bagged a Bachelor of Science Degree (Hons) Business Administration (Banking and Financial Managament) from the ABU in 1990. He previously got a Diploma in Insurance from the Institute of Administration, ABU Zaria in 1996. In 2007 and 2012, Musa obtained postgraduate diploma and certificate in Public Policy Management; International Management from the University of London and University of Liverpool.

A beneficiary of different executive courses, certifications and affiliations, he was at the United States Institute of Peace – Professional Certificate in Conflict Analysis in 2007. The next year, 2008, he was at University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, Pennsylvania USA. Leadership Training Programme on Accountability, Ethics, and Corporate Governance. In 2012, he was at the Harvard Business School, Harvard University Cambridge Boston USA Theme: Strategic IQ – Creating Smarter Corporations.

An astute politician, he proudly said that his political career is just as accomplished and rich with experience as his academic and business pursuits. “I am a member of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and was in 2014 an aspirant for the Niger East Senatorial Dostrict; member, Niger State Gubernatorial Campaign Committee in 2007, a delegate to the National Convention in 2007 as well as a gubernatorial aspirant in Niger State in 2007.

“As a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Team 2019, I donated the biggest Presidential Campaign Office in Northern Nigeria not to mention my championing of the usage of the PVC during the voting process.”

He was an Ex-Officio of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and also held the same post in the defunct United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) in 1997.

Since 2019, Musa has been a Senator of Federal Republic of Nigeria, serving as the Chairman of Senate Services committees and member of the committees on: Appropriation, Petroleum Resources, FCT, Water Resources, Foreign and Local Debt. He sees himself as a dedicated and committtted member working for the success of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. He has also served as a member of various committees of the APC; a member of the NEC, Contact and Strategy Committee and Constitutional Review Committee.

Born May 11, 1965, Musa is married with children. He is a member of the Niger State Economic and Social Advisory Council, from 2007 to date. A delegate on Presidential Trade Mission to Japan in 2006, member: Niger Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Culture; Patron: Tea and Coffee Producers Assoc. of Nigeria; Member: National Sesame Seed Assoc. of Nigeria; Member: Board of Trustees, National Shea Products Association of Nigeria; Member; Stakeholders Group on the Diversification of Commerce in Nigeria (Commerce 44) in 2006; member: Shippers Association of Nigeria. He enjoys travelling, tennis, Polo and horse racing.

Senator Musa may have largely been misunderstood in some quarters, particularly in the media. In 2019, the Information Minister supported an anti-social-media bill titled: Protections from Internet Falsehood and Manipulations, sponsored him. While the controversy on the Social Media Bill is still raging, Musa, again dived into another hotbed of argument, positing that cryptocurrency has made the Nigerian Naira valueless.

He said during a Senate Plenary “Cryptocurrency has become a worldwide transaction of which you cannot even identify who owns what.

The technology is so strong that I don’t see the kind of regulation that we can do. Bitcoin has made our currency almost useless or valueless.”

“If we have an economy that is very weak and we cannot regulate cryptocurrency in Nigeria, then I don’t know how our economy would be in the next seven years,” he claimed.

But many who are familiar with Senator Musa’s background as President/CEO of Activate Technologies Limited? an ICT company, argue that his position, even if, controversial is based on knowledge and familiarity with the subject matter. As a gentleman and democrat, he is not shy to put his opinion forward and stand by it, until it is defeated by the majority or by superior argument.

Over the years, Senator Musa has co-ordinated several projects and ensured due diligence; ensured strict confidentiality of sensitive project documents and contracts agreement, undertaken management of JV Agreement with local and international partners.

QUOTE

My experience in private and public sectors, the capacity required to manage diverse people and interests irrespective of tribe, religion and region is already imbibed by me. I am a mobilizer, a bridge builder and a strategist that is passionate about wholesome development of the nation. I possess a strong interpersonal skill by demonstrating the utmost discretion and integrity in all of my dealings. In 2015, Musa went through a trying period for which he believes he will yet be recommended for National Honour. He narrated the incident. “My integrity was brought to test in 2015 when I was arrested and detained and later induced with financial and material gift to compromise the 2015 general election by revealing the confidential information on the Card Reader, but for my believe and stand for the nation, I refused to compromise and the success of the 2015 general election was celebrated across the globe. My zeal and determination is always to get the best for Nigeria and Nigerians