54 Garlands to Pragmatic Strategist and Progressive Politician -By Abba Dukawa

Luck Is Great, But Most Of Life Is Hard Work. – Iain Duncan Smith

Human life has been likened to a number of things; from a stage upon which all humans are actors, to a professions choose and every individual is  here to trade. Governor Mai Mala Buni, has been on political  stage of Yobe state and the country at large for almost three decades. Even when  besieged with occasional twists and turns,  HMB’s remain committed and doing well.

If there was any doubt as to his sagacity  and political shrewdness, Hon. Mai Mala Buni put such doubts to rest in the 1990s when, he traversed the terrain of than newly created Yobe state politics with his determinations  breaks  the jinx  of Social Democratic Party in the third republic. To won  humble seat of councilor under the  defunct  National Republican Convention (NRC) and  subsequently elected as the speaker of the Gujba Local government council in 1992. Coincidentally, since than  HMB’s but   always find himself in opposition side but  beautified it with a dazzling commitment and determinations. Until  2011, when Governor Ibrahim Gaidam  appointed Buni’s Special Adviser on Political Affairs and Legislative Matters.

However, one of his outstanding legacy that became Buni’s landmark of  his  political life is proof of hardworking with strong will and determination able to  turn all obstacles to attains political greatness where the weaker party in Yobe state  unanimously elected him  as Chairman of the Advanced Congress of Democrats in Yobe state, when Action Congress Party in the state entered into alliance with the Advanced Congress of Democrats in  2007 penciled him down unopposed for the Chairman of the Action Congress party and was subsequently elected where he served as chairman from 2007 to 2010.  Since  2011,  he  clung-on to political prominence. Hon Mai Mala Buni  was born on  19 November 1967 in Buni Yadi is the 4th civilians  Governor of the State since 1999.

His political prestige ensured  when three biggest opposition parties in the country  Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN),  Congress for Progressive Change (CPC),  and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP),  with a  faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and  NPDP – a faction of the then  ruling People’s Democratic Party  merger in February 2013.  After the formation of All Progressive Congress in  2013, Hon. Mai Mala Buni’s political carrier steadily raise to  became APC  Protem state secretary  and  subsequently elected the Pioneer state Chairman of the Party   and also Pioneer National Secretary of APC. In 2019 as Allah’s destiny he became APC gubernatorial candidate which won the election in that year.  

A part of being Governor of Yobe state also discharged  additional responsibility  to reposition the party the ruling governing party at the centre and resolve internal conflicts and reposition the party. HMB took the tasks with keen interest with  colourful fresh paint of politicking by setting  a ‘political miracle which has  became an opposition’s  parties  nightmare with  his superlative act of lobbyist and bring the party national Secretariat to life from being more sleepily Secretariat.

There is no gainsaying the fact,  some events in the APC surrounding the 2019 elections, especially after the primaries, presented disturbing realities. “In particular, situations in Adamawa, Bauchi Imo, Ogun, Rivers and Zamfara states were, to least, unfortunate. This internal  tension   brought down internal party harmony, in addition  the party  lost controls of Sokoto, Benue, Adamawa, Bauchi,  Zamfara and Edo states to PDP. 

To save the party from more implosion Mr. Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC)  has been dissolved.   Therefore Mr. President and other party critical stakeholders searchlight for replacement of former NWC that would pulls out the party from more political uncertainty. On June 2020    after dually consultation at the party emergency’s meeting named  Former National Secretary and governor of Yobe state Mai-Mala Buni as  chairman caretaker/extra-ordinary convention committee  considering  had inside experience.

Therefore CECPC not  only bringing the party back to life, but the party  capture some states  from stronghold of  PDP,  zone  which  gradually melting into the APC controlling states including  Ebonyi State David Umahi, Cross River State (Ben Ayade) and Matawalle of Zamfara states. , former Ogun state Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel and Atiku Abubakar Presidential campaign organization,  Lt. Gen. Ihejirika have joined APC. Others are two former speakers of House of Representatives – Yakubu Dogara and Dimeji Bankole, Barnabas Gemade former PDP chairman, among others. 

CECPC working  yielding positive result as HMB proved that he understand  dynamics of the political lobby which has  paid off in aiding his led Committee  ‘winning’ back aggrieved members.   Governor Buni’s led committee  carrying  heavy political weight on they shoulders in  steering  the party onto a safe pasture from the brink of implosion to the gale of defection of various parties members  to the party.  HMB  put the party on sound foundation  as demonstrated by his political pedigree  in managing the party affairs and  resolving internal squabbles among various party members. 

In spite   his   administration came to  into power when the state  had its own bitter taste of the Boko Haram insurgency, the nation slide into serious financial crisis which seriously affected the state financial commitments as the state almost reliances on Federation Allocations but Hon.Mai Mala Buni  give  hope to his peoples and  reinvigorated them after the destructions of  Boko Haram.

As a governor Hon Mai Mala Buni’s  evidently, comfortable with his unflinching passion for enthronement of a masses oriented government. His insatiable desire for uplifting them  made him a people’s governor. He was sincere to his noble cause for which he excelled and prepare for dedicated leadership with his leadership principles that  anyone who to be a  leader must be the servant not the boss  of those he want to serve.  With his leadership principles enable him to met the expectations of the teeming population of  Yobe  State in delivery of democratic dividends and meeting expectations of the teeming population of the State.  
Perhaps, Buni’s cutting edge breakthrough in Education, Health Infrastructure Development, Youth/Women Empowerment, Security Enhancement, Agricultural Development, foreign scholarship to deserving students, paying retirees benefits, supporting security agencies in the state with operational vehicles    are unprecedented. 

In spite the  nation’s political terrain polluted with  self-centered politicians but Yobe state Governor  happens to be one of these politicians  that have managed to imprint their names on the history books as partly responsible for better politics since the returns of civilians administration in 1999. 

Even though it is  hardly seeing Governor Mai Mala Buni  talking  but he has switch lobbyist  and intelligentsia knowhow on wining other politicians heart  to APC. In fact    his act of  lobbyist  in presiding  affairs of  CECPC become a reckoning force within the nation’s political space. His excellent ability to remain in the team even in moments of pandemonium is, to succinctly put, superlative. These  traits made him easily admired, to even the most paranoid amongst his political contemporaries    admitted that he  proved himself as a   erudite listening ear humble, tolerant and warm and most Strategist politician in the country. 

Hon. Mai Mala Buni  is a stunning success, a unique gift to the nation  and  deserve to be celebrated by all  as he turned 54 years in the service to the Yobeans, his party and the country at large.  In his political career Governor Mai Mala Buni  has faced enough storms to be considered a water walker. Even so, his focus is still on the improvement of lives through inspiration and encouragement to the people of Yobe and the country at large.  

This piece is to celebrate with   humble beginnings of  Pragmatic Strategist, Progressive  Politician, Lobbyist and Grassroot Politician. A great achiever In Transforming Socioeconomic And Infrastructural Development of Yobe state , All Progressive Congress and the country at large turns 54. 

Dukawa write in from Kano abbahdukawa@gmail.com