By Kingsley Fanwo
In 2013, some political parties came together to form what became the All Progressives Congress (APC). It will amount to pointed misnomer to call those groups “strange bed fellows”. They weren’t strange because their common denominator was their social democracy, a blend of demokratia and solialismós. The defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and a part of the All Progressive Grand Alliance are all Progressive parties that formed the APC.
The elections of 2003, 2007 and 2011 riveted a sensible fact in the minds of our leaders: that it would take a united Progressive Family to unseat the conservative albatross of our nation. Corruption was rife; insecurity was unimaginable to the point that insurgents decided where we celebrated our Independence Anniversary. The nation was on a dangerous precipice.
APC birthed a new hope for Nigeria and in 2015, a ruling party was removed by the force of the populace through the ballot, ushering in a historic administration whose policies stay loyal to the ideals of the founding fathers. The bulwark of the APC’s strength is in social investment. Today, the APC administration has some of the most ambitious Social Investment Programs in the world. It has stayed loyal to the force that gave her power. Even the petro-dollars of 2015 could not the stop the force of the people.
But shortly after taking power, APC found itself in frenetic power play. Especially as we approach a change of government in 2023. Power blocs are scheming for the control of Africa’s largest party, a situation that repudiated the Adams Oshiomhole era in the party.
In order to avoid a vacuum and also rebound the party into reckoning, the party put in place the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, CECPC. The CECPC was mandated to reposition the party and also supervise the emergence of new party structures.
The CECPC has done a great job in ensuring the APC remains the party to beat as the nation gears up for the 2023 political battle.
The Committee moved to bring in political heavyweights into the party, including serving Governors, Senators, Members of the Federal House of Representatives as well as others across the country. Depopulating the main opposition PDP has no doubt, demoralized the party ahead of the 2023 poll.
With the Governors of Ebonyi, Cross River and Zamfara States joining the ruling party, it is almost certain that the party is set to retain power beyond 2023.
Another heroic of the party under the leadership of Gov. Mai Mala Buni was the membership drive of the party, that brought in millions of new members into the party. The party went into the exercise with aggressive determination to build an intimidating membership. The policies of the APC-led Federal Government as well as the magnetic prowess of the CECPC Chairman led to a huge success.
The Committee on Youth and Women Mobilization under the Chairmanship of the Kogi State Governor, Alh. Yahaya Bello deployed the social and the electronic media as well as the print media to galvanize massive registration of new members into the party across the country.
Only a few is aware that the APC is currently digitizing its membership profile. This is a novel initiative and a formidable data platform for planning and assessment as the party prepares for a digital future. This is no doubt, a formidable foundation laid by the Buni-led administration.
The CECPC has also led the party into a streak of victories in many elections, including the recently conducted Ondo State Governorship election. This is a reflection of the acceptability of the party by Nigerians. The Supreme Court also seized the golden opportunity to validate the legality of the CECPC of the party. This is a silencer to detractors who had hitherto criticized the legality of the Committee.
The Ward, Local Government and State Congresses of the party have been hugely successful. The plans and execution were clinical in delivery. Despite the few challenges reported in some states, the exercises were largely successful.
The CECPC has also recorded significant progress in reconciling differing interests within the party. A high-powered Reconciliation Committee led by Sen. Abdullahi Adamu was set up in September 2021 to ensure harmony within the party. The Committee is expected to brief the CECPC ahead of the February 26, 2022 Convention. Unlike some parties that jumped their reconciliatory process to organize its Convention, APC is doing what is right with the right human resource at the right time politically and administratively.
And now, we are on the march again as the CECPC is set to organize a National Convention to remember. The CECPC has released the timetable for the Convention and will further brief Nigerians as things unfold ahead of the Convention, but snippets from the Committee already suggest that it is going to be the best Convention ever in the political history of the nation.
It is hypocritical that the PDP has made the most noise as to how APC should conduct its Convention. They have been expressing doubts and spinning a lot of political blackmail in order to make APC fall into the same ditch of putting the cart before the horse.
Our party won’t be bothered by the push and the blackmail. Mr Performer Mai Mala Buni and his Committee will only do what is right for our party.
There is no doubt that Mai Mala Buni has made APC more attractive, better organized and battle ready. It is hoped that when elected, the next National Working Committee of the party will borrow a leaf from the Buni Magic to continue the win.
Kingsley Fanwo is a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and the Hon. Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kogi State.
