Consensus for leadership of 10th NASS? Give it to Gov. Buni, by Yusuf Ali

Consensus for leadership of 10th NASS? Give it to Gov. Buni, by Yusuf Ali

Consensus for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly? Give it to Hon. Mai Mala Buni, governor of Yobe State; he is so passionate about the unity and improvement of APC and its capacity to take Nigeria to greater heights. Indeed, his love for the unity of the APC family for the peace and progress of this nation knows no bounds.

He has earned for himself a nickname and is popularly referred to as “Limamin Sulhu” which means the Apostle of Reconciliation for the great service he has done in reconciling aggrieved party members and building consensus for repositioning the All Progressives Congress.

Buni was a National Secretary and National Chairman of the APC, who made a lot of sacrifices for the party to remain strong and formidable. He steer the party to power and saved it from collapse when it was almost going under. Even after becoming governor, he continued working for the party until the emergence of the Abdullahi Adamu National Working Committee (NWC).

It will be recalled, upon his election as the governor of Yobe state in 2019, Buni was saddled with the great responsibility of ensuring that the APC Caucuses remain united ahead of the inauguration of the 9th National Assembly, so what happened in 2015 when Saraki and Dogara emerged, does not repeat itself.

It was Buni that delivered the two powerful legislative positions, Senator Ahmed Lawan and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, the party’s and President Buhari’s preferred candidates as Senate President and Speaker of the House.

Now that the APC has won the 2023 Presidential election and lobbying for the 10th National Assembly leadership intensifies, Gov. Buni’s leadership and magic wand is most needed to bring together all the Senators and House of Representatives for consensus to support the party’s preferred candidate for Senate President and Speaker.

This is in keeping with the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Vice President-elect, Sen. Kashim Shettima to hit the ground running from day one and for a seamless inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in June.

It is for this reason that the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Idris Wase, and his campaign team visited Gov. Buni to seek his support and blessings.

Receiving Wase and his campaign team at his Abuja residence, Gov. Buni, the former Acting National Chairman of the APC said the party needs the Deputy Speaker more than the Deputy Speaker needs the party.

Buni said “Experience is not studied in the university; it evolves from institutional participation and entrenched ideas which you already have. For us, we know you will work based on experience because you are prepared more than any other.

“You didn’t need to come, I will work for you because to whom much is given, much is expected. You listened to us and stepped down when I was National Secretary even before the president, he knew about it and it is now time for us to reciprocate your gesture; someone must step down for you this time around”.

With the intense lobbying of the leadership position of both chambers, its believe that one of the things we need is Buni’s leadership to appeal to the members’ conscience to avoid the bitter lesson of 2015.

Buni 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.

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’.

While Gov. Buni’s services to the party are invaluable and most appreciated as he remains an icon of the APC at all times, we still need his leadership to deliver the National Assembly again for Tinubu/Shettima to hit the ground running and advance Nigeria toward greatness as a nation.

Though Buni has won his second term would want to focus on continuity and consolidation of his first term achievement, just like the many good things he has done for the people which they are yearning for more, Buni’s energy and intellect should be roundly harnessed for the smooth and rancor-free inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.

Yusuf Ali the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) Digital & Strategic Communications to Governor Mai Mala Buni