The race for the composition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) national executive is currently one of the most hotly debated political contests. After numerous postponements, a tentative date of February has been set. However, no date has been set, leaving room for speculation.
Candidates for various offices, particularly the National Chairmanship, have been revving their political engines and engaging in various aspects of campaigning to position themselves as the best choice for the APC elite set, despite the open date.
Despite critics’ doubts about Governor Mai Mala Buni’s sincerity as Chairman of the APC Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Senator Sani Musa of Niger East believes there is no need to be concerned. “I believe we are prepared, and we will have a smooth convention that other parties will follow.” So far, all indications for the conduct of our party’s national convention are positive, in my opinion. As you may recall, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and the Governor of Kebbi State, announced the date of the convention after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House.
Read Also: Bandits kill ten people, kidnap 33 women in Zamfara
States that have yet to hold their state congresses have until the end of the year to do so. The APC reconciliation committee is also working around the clock to find solutions to all grievances, either before or after the congress. So I’m optimistic that we’re on the right track and that the convention in February 2022 will be a success.”
Many people believe Musa is a brilliant legislator who should continue to contribute to nation building at that level of participation, which is why his interest in the APC leadership is surprising. His response may not be to everyone’s liking, but he is convinced that the APC national chairmanship is the next step in his political career. “One of the primary reasons for my ambition to lead the All Progressives Congress is my desire to be for everyone.”
I worked in both the public and private sectors before being elected to the Senate. Since 2014, I’ve been a leader in the APC, and from 2019 to now, I’ve been a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC). You’ll notice the consistency if you look at the antecedents. As a serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I am the Chairman of the Senate Services Committee and represent the good people of the Niger East Senatorial District. As a first-term Senator, I have provided excellent service to my constituents, and it has been an incredible experience.
So, like my current position as a Senator of the Federal Republic, my interest in the chairmanship of our great party, the APC, is a call to national service. You must keep in mind that as Chairman of the APC, I can use my experience in the Senate to more effectively push the party’s manifesto through the National Assembly. It will also put me in a better position to provide reconciliatory leadership, which the party desperately needs right now to get out of its current difficulties.
Read Also: Ufuoma MCDermott Offers Advice to Those Who Shame People for Their Age
And my leadership of the party will reaffirm our commitment to uphold our amiable President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR’s towering legacy and leadership, which has given our party an ideology and international presence, as well as his democratic ideals and work within the sub-region and Africa, fight against corruption, and efforts to provide security. As a result, a leader who will continue to support and pay attention to such progressive efforts is required. There will be a continuation, and all of my efforts will be directed toward assisting Nigeria’s democratic consolidation. It’s a necessary sacrifice for me to make in order to build our party and the country as a whole.”
Attempting to question Musa’s backers brings out the fighter in him. “It’s been overwhelming,” he said of the ever-increasing number of people who sign up for his dream every day. He truly believes he is the best candidate for the party.
“Those who are sincere across the party’s leadership at the State level, down to the grassroots, and back to the Federal level will tell you I am the candidate to beat.” Even my opponents know in their hearts that I am a better candidate because of my pedigree, contributions to the party, and sincere commitment to ensuring the party’s stability and success.”
Musa is confident that delegates to the APC national convention will be looking for qualities of a good leader to influence their choice, and he believes he will defeat other candidates. ” If you can develop strong leadership qualities, you’ll be able to inspire your entire organization, team, or country.” We’ve been reaching out to party leaders and members at all levels since the beginning of our campaign. Even in a hotly contested election, I will undoubtedly win.”
Read Also: Nigeria records 859 COVID-19 infections, two people died On Monday
Musa talks about the reforms he hopes to bring to the APC when he becomes national chairman whenever he gets the chance. “If given the chance to lead the party, I will completely overhaul its internal structures and operations.” I will adapt to a participatory and affiliative work style that will usher the party’s visionary and pacesetting leadership. My reform agenda for the party is summed up in the three R’s of success: reconciliation, reorganization, and redirection.
We must immediately and permanently reconcile the party’s disgruntled members. We need to reorganize the party so that it can effectively mobilize all segments of the country for elections, from youth to women’s groups. Finally, rather than wrangling, we must focus our efforts on winning elections and nation-building. We’ll have an inclusive leadership that is free of the dynastic politics, sectionalism, favoritism, money politics, parasitism on the public payroll, cronyism, and patronage that are ingrained in our political culture. We’ll lead a party that honors our founding fathers’ legacy by providing equal opportunity to all members of the party in order to build a strong country that is more tolerant, prosperous, and just.”
Musa sounded dismissive when asked about the threat that the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), might pose to the APC in the 2023 national elections. He claimed that the PDP is a shadow of its former self and that it is still a toothless bulldog.
Despite the fact that the PDP held a successful and rancor-free national convention, Musa claimed that the main party “cannot even offer credible stiff opposition as is expected of it under the current circumstances of our democracy.” Since its defeat in the 2015 general elections, the PDP has not recovered from the shock of the defeat, which is evident in everything the umbrella does right now. They are now promoting a scandalous mantra of “rescuing and rebuilding” Nigeria.
Read Also: Antibodies that can neutralize omicron have been discovered by scientists
I was going to say the mantra is ridiculous, but instead I’m going to say it’s embarrassing. It’s embarrassing because how can a party like the PDP forget about its atrocities in such a short period of time? President Muhammadu Buhari’s APC has transformed Nigeria into an infrastructure hub, with critical infrastructure in every part of the country, in less than eight years. The dormant rail sector has been revived; our airports have been upgraded to world-class standards; roads are being rehabilitated; social investment programs are reaching every home and individual in Nigeria; and, despite the intractable security situation, our valiant security forces are receiving support. All of this adds up to the party being the court bride every day.
The PDP not only crippled the Nigerian economy, but they also did everything they could to undermine democracy, particularly free and fair elections. Today, the PDP benefits from the APC’s free and fair electoral process, and it has the audacity to promote the insensitive slogan “rescue and rebuild.”
Musa is unconcerned about the party’s multiple crises in many states, believing that once he is elected chairman, his reform agenda will address most of these issues and reposition the party for the better.
“Disputes are essential in democracy because democracy allows for different shades of opinion,” he argued. This is not a disadvantage in and of itself because it allows people to learn from such disputes, and even cases that end up in court allow the judiciary to expound and develop the law on the issues at hand, setting precedents for the future. As a result, I don’t see how the convention will be harmed by disagreements.”
Read Also: Buhari congratulates Christopher Kolade, the former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, on his 89th birthday
If given the chance to lead the party, I will completely overhaul its internal structures and operations. I will adapt to a participatory and affiliative work style that will usher the party’s visionary and pacesetting leadership. My reform agenda for the party is summed up in the three R’s of success: reconciliation, reorganization, and redirection. We must immediately and permanently reconcile the party’s disgruntled members. We need to reorganize the party so that it can effectively mobilize all segments of the country for elections, from youth to women’s groups.
