Buni thanks Buhari for support, lists committee’s achievements in valedictory address

On Saturday night, Mai Mala Buni, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, claimed that his team had met its goals.

Buni, who is also the Governor of Yobe State, revealed this in his valedictory address at the party’s national convention at Abuja’s Eagles Square.

Following the breakup of the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC) on June 25, 2020, the governor was named interim chairman of the governing party.

He expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari and his Progressive Governors’ Forum partners for their assistance.

Buni said that his team pulled sitting governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into the APC and restored peace in state chapters where disagreements had been recorded.

“Upon taking office, the committee launched a real and all-inclusive reconciliation process to provide everyone a genuine feeling of belonging, confidence, and trust in the party’s common ownership,” he stated.

“First and foremost, we visited certain key stakeholders to engage them in addressing the party’s issues and other lingering concerns. While some of these trips were made public, others were done behind closed doors and without the attention of the media. Similarly, we paid a visit to other unhappy chieftains, who openly expressed their dissatisfaction with the committee. We spoke openly with one another, putting party objectives ahead of personal interests.

“I am pleased to report that such candid dialogues instilled fresh hope in the hearts of the aggrieved, such that those who had previously left the party returned, while others who were about leaving never did.”

“However, once we got started on the job, we learned that the challenges on the ground significantly surpassed our estimates of how long it would take to fix the party’s massive problems.” As a result, the original six-month deadline was woefully insufficient, impossible, and impractical, necessitating the need for a further extension. Fortunately, with each expansion, we were able to bring in new ideals and great improvements to the party.

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“After reconciling significant stakeholders, members, and groups, the committee began the membership registration and revalidation process, which is one of the CECPC’s tasks, in order to determine the party’s numerical strength for effective planning and mobilization.”

“Through the bottom-up strategy, we were able to offer our new members with the option to register as legal members of APC with equal rights, benefits, and opportunities, as well as return control of the party to the members.”

“I am pleased to report that the membership registration and revalidation exercise resulted in over 41 million members providing information on their Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) and passport-size pictures. This exceptional rise in membership from 11 million registered members to over 41 million registered members gives the party an additional edge in landslide victory in Nigerian elections.

“Mr President, distinguished members, ladies and gentlemen, the APC has created history with an unprecedented record of high-powered defections into the party during the Caretaker Committee. Three serving governors, His Excellency, Engr. Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, His Excellency, Dr. Ben Ayade of Cross River State, and Alhaji Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State, defected from the PDP to the APC, along with millions of their followers.

“I am happy to add that the party’s fortunes were further enriched by the defection of former House Speakers, former PDP national chairman, member PDP Board of Trustees, several Distinguished Senators and Honourable members of the House of Representatives and state assemblies, and several other heavyweights cutting across all geopolitical zones of the country,” he said.