Mai Mala Buni, the governor of Yobe State and Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, has said that his team achieved the targeted goal.
On the occasion of the national convention, when a new set of national officials was chosen, he made the statement in his valedictory address in Eagles Square on Saturday night.
The APC CECPC was established in June 2020 after the National Working Committee, headed by former Edo State Governor Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, was disbanded by the party’s National Executive Committee.
The 12-man committee was tasked with reconciling disgruntled chieftains and organizing a national convention.
The national convention, which was scheduled to take place over the weekend, was postponed twice.
Governor Buni, who congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari and his Progressive Governors Forum colleagues, said his team was able to bring governors from the major opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party, into the governing party and secure enduring peace in split state chapters.
Apart from the troubleshooting endeavor, Governor Buni stated his staff registered party supporters, bringing the total number of members to 41 million.
“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. To begin, we went to several key stakeholders to engage them in addressing the party’s issues and other lingering problems. 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.
“After reconciling significant stakeholders, members, and organizations, the committee began the membership registration and revalidation process, which is one of the CECPC’s tasks, to determine the party’s numerical strength for appropriate 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 registering using the information on their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) 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 Mutawalle 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 Speakers of the House of Representatives, 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 the country’s geo-political zones.”
Governor Buni said the governors of Ebonyi and Cross Rivers States, Ben Ayade, and his Zamfara counterpart, Bello Muhammad Matawalle, should not be bothered by the court’s decision to sack the Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, in an apparent reference to the court’s decision to sack the Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi.
“Let me reassure those of you whose defections are being questioned in court that you have nothing to worry about since your defections were legal. By the grace of God, you will prevail in the upper courts at the conclusion of these proceedings. Your sensible choice to join the APC, along with the millions of your fans, will not go unnoticed.”
Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Governor of Kebbi State and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, praised the party’s stakeholders for holding the national convention ahead of the presidential convention.
Our team delivered on the assignment given us, Buni tells Buhari
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