Gov. Buni’s Unmatched Contributions to Growth, Development of APC

Gov. Buni’s Unmatched Contributions to Growth, Development of APC

By Yusuf Ali

Since the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2013, many leaders have played important roles in building and sustaining Africa’s largest political party. Yet, when commitment, sacrifice, consistency, institutional memory, and measurable impact are objectively assessed, one name stands out unmistakably in the records of the APC National Headquarters: Hon. Mai Mala Buni.

Buni’s contributions to the APC are neither episodic nor ceremonial; they are foundational, strategic, and enduring.

From the party’s inception, Buni has been at the centre of its institutional growth, serving two terms as National Secretary—the engine room of any serious political organisation. In that capacity, he was not merely an administrator but the custodian of party structures, processes, and cohesion, providing stability during the APC’s formative and most delicate years.

When Chief Lai Mohammed was appointed Minister of Information, Governor Buni went beyond his constitutional brief to serve as Acting National Publicity Secretary for over two years. During this critical period, he became the public face and authoritative voice of the APC, defending the party relentlessly amid intense political opposition and scrutiny.

Until the appointment of Bolaji Abdullahi, it was Buni who consistently articulated, protected, and projected the party’s image nationwide. Few leaders in the party’s history have borne such dual responsibilities with comparable discipline, resilience, and loyalty.

Although widely expected to consolidate further at the national secretariat, duty soon called him to a higher responsibility—the governorship of Yobe State. Yet, his elevation did not signal a withdrawal from party service. On the contrary, the APC continued to rely on him as a trusted problem-solver, bridge-builder, and peacemaker across factions and interests.

This confidence was formally demonstrated by President Muhammadu Buhari, who entrusted Governor Buni with the delicate and strategic assignment of ensuring the emergence of the party’s preferred leadership in the 9th National Assembly—Senator Ahmad Lawan as Senate President and Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Governor Buni travelled extensively, engaged stakeholders, and painstakingly built consensus, preventing internal rebellion and securing party unity. That historic success bears his unmistakable imprint.

Perhaps the clearest testament to Governor Buni’s indispensability came in 2020, when the APC faced one of the gravest crises in its history following the dissolution of the Adams Oshiomhole–led National Executive Committee. At a moment when the party stood at the brink, Governor Buni was appointed Chairman of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).

Under his steady leadership, the APC was rebuilt, stabilised, reconciled, and repositioned. He managed competing interests, restored internal confidence, conducted a successful national convention, and returned the party to constitutional order—no small feat in Nigeria’s complex political landscape.

It was also during his tenure as Chairman of the Caretaker Committee that Governor Buni settled payment for the acquisition of the property housing the APC National Headquarters at No. 40 Blantyre Street, Wuse II, Abuja, subsequently named “Buhari House.” This singular act of sacrifice stands as a permanent physical and symbolic legacy of his commitment to the party.

Beyond this, Governor Buni is also chairing the Constitutional Review Committee and supervising the expansion of the National Executive Committee, further deepening internal democracy and strengthening party structures nationwide.

What ultimately distinguishes Governor Mai Mala Buni is not merely the number of assignments he has handled, but the unbroken thread of trust successive party leaders and presidents have placed in him. He has remained constantly available to the APC—never aloof, never transactional, and never driven by personal ambition at the expense of party unity.

It is therefore unsurprising that, at a time of renewed party expansion, strategic realignment, and high-profile defections, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu once again turned to the party’s most dependable peacemaker by appointing Governor Buni as Chairman of the APC Committee on Strategy, Conflict Resolution and Mobilisation. The decision reflects institutional memory, historical evidence, and an appreciation of proven capacity.

By every measurable standard—longevity, sacrifice, trust, effectiveness, and outcomes—no individual has contributed more consistently and comprehensively to the growth, survival, and development of the APC since its formation in 2013 than Hon. Mai Mala Buni. This is not rhetoric; it is a matter of record—clearly written in the files, resolutions, and lived history of the APC National Headquarters.