Where is Buni in APC Presidential Campaign Train?

One name that has been synonymous with All Progressives Congress in not too distant time at the national level is Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe state, who was called upon to pilot the affairs of the party when it was almost going under. One would have expected him to have assumed a bigger role on the presidential campaign train, but little is seen of him, making many to ask where is Buni? Michael Olugbode writes.

Electioneering and elections bring intrigues and toes are stepped on, but after victory is achieved everyone is expected to bury the hatchets, embrace the winner and plan as a family to manage the victory successfully, for the victory is no more for an individual neither a group but for the entire congregation, in this case the party. There was bitter competition for the soul of APC before and during the presidential primary of the party, the jostling for power it is believed predated the appointment of Mai Mala Buni as the National caretaker chairman, it is said that this was what consumed the Adams Oshiomhole’s executive and it did a lot to even consume Buni’s led caretaker council but for resilience that made him touch the finishing line with the successful handing over to Abdullahi Adamu who now administer the party and successfully conducted the presidential primary that was not an easy task.

The jostling for the presidential ticket of the party is long over and the campaign to win the February 2023 election is now top priority and a gigantic campaign committee with various sub-committees have been instituted, and with work beginning in full force with both predecessor and successor of Buni having been seen to have taken superlative position on podiums during the campaign tours; they have come out to market the party and it’s candidate with vigor and they have all buried the hatchets and work as a team. But one man is not consistent enough on the campaign tour and that name is Mai Mala Buni.

Many may want to push the thought of something happening on the excuse that Buni has his re-election as governor to handle; but all know that Buni’s re-election as governor of Yobe State is long concluded as a walk in the park as there is no major challenge to the APC winning almost all positions for grab in the Northeast state.

And for a man that could use a large part of his first tenure to sacrifice for the party by heading a caretaker committee and traversing all states of the federation, he can have another time in the sunlight at the national level for the party if he was actually encouraged and not tactically pushed aside.

Take or leave it, Buni did a lot for the party and his antecedents have shown him to be a great politician that has eyes at the centre and should not be limited to Yobe State to bring votes for the party in the bid to continue to be at the helm of affairs beyond May 29, 2023. He prides himself as the superintendent of the party when it’s membership rose to over 41 million from a paltry 11 million on his appointment, and making the party to formally cement it’s place as the leading political party in Nigeria and the largest in Africa.

That Buni was able to make a success of his appointment as caretaker party chairman side by side being Yobe State Governor did not come as a surprise for he had since early age, worked hard for greatness through enormous humility, large-hearted generosity, goodwill, and accommodation.

At a later age, providence shown on him. Since when he was called on to serve over 30 years ago, Governor Buni had remained in the corridors of power with solid results. He has always been sought after to serve in public offices. At the youthful age of 20, he was elected into Gujba Local Government Council to represent Buni Gari ward, and subsequently became the most powerful council leader (Speaker) among the local government councils in the Old Borno state (comprising present day Borno and Yobe states). His emergence at the national scene started when he was elected the first substantive National Secretary of Nigeria’s first-ever merger political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). He was, prior to that, and at various times, the state chairman of AC, ACN and APC. The success of APC defeating the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its sitting President, brought Governor Buni’s political sagacity and sophistication to bear and was unanimously returned for a second term of office as the National Secretary of the ruling party.

He is believed to be gifted with a rare character of tolerance, accommodation and uncommon humility. His faith and skill in dialogue, negotiation, and peaceful resolution of disputes and disagreements are down to earth and second to none. His character attracted him to both the old and new-bred politicians far and near from across the country and suddenly, Buni became a political figure whose name traversed the length and breadth of Nigeria’s political space.

He is today seen in the light of his late kinsman Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim, former Presidential Candidate of the defunct Great Nigeria Peoples Party (GNPP) who preached: “Politics Without Bitterness”.

He has equally earned for himself a nickname and is popularly referred to as “Limamin Sulhu” which literally means the Apostle of Reconciliation.

His reconciliatory skill could still be harnessed as the party moves to the peak of campaign and even thereafter. As one party member in Yobe State, Umar Umar would say, since Buni has a wealth of negotiation and bargaining skills and is well-liked in all 36 states due to his effective performance as party chairman, it is believed that his inclusion in the campaign team would benefit the party much in its effort to demonstrate the power of its cohesion.

“We think Yobe state is already under Mai Mala Buni’s control. We believe he doesn’t need to expend so much energy in his re-election as Yobe State is already a one-party state, and that party is the APC. As a result, his focus should be on being visible as the campaign team works to promote Tinubu and Shettima’s candidacy in order to assure their success.”

Umar added that: “I understand that to be appointed adviser is to give room for strategic planning and Buni’s experience is quite noted by the APC Presidential candidate Bola Tinubu even as he (Tinubu) said, ‘the choice of Buni as adviser was necessitated by his impressive political achievement and exemplary leadership as governor and party member.”

Recall that the former APC National Leader’s letter, dated August 8, 2022, contained information about Buni’s appointment, “This letter is to officially announce your appointment as the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council’s adviser on party integration and reconciliation. Given your tremendous political accomplishments and the excellent leadership you have displayed in your roles as governor of your state and as a party member, this appointment is acceptable and fitting.

“We are pleased that you have joined our campaign team. We run a successful, message-driven campaign, which will help us win the 2023 presidential election because we are confident that you will give your all to this new responsibility. By leveraging the successes of our party and the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari(rtd), we can not only assure our party’s win in the elections of February 2023, but we can also advance Nigeria toward greatness as a nation.” the letter reads in part.

Though it could not be said that Buni has been totally thrown out of the present presidential campaign of the APC but just like his predecessor and successor who are even much older, Buni’s energy and intellect should be roundly harnessed for the victory of Tinubu/Shettima candidate.