The future of APC beyond PMB and Danger of undermining Al-Makura

From Francis Nansak.

As the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) plans ahead towards making another political history,for a likely successor of President Mohammadu Buhari,at the time of his exit in government by 2023,already the polity is fuming.

Yet the challenge that the ruling party needs to break it’s knees,which has also appeared as a fragile bride waiting to be unveilled is the convention that will produce a substantive National EXCO.

These and many more challenges that the party must conclusively establish, calls for a cruciall and meticulous consideration,if the APC is dreaming to have a Buhari successor beyond 2023.

To bring these expectations to fruition,the present caretaker National chairman of the All Progressive Congress,who is also a sitting governor of Yobe state ,Malla Buni, must consider certain factors above mere political egocentrism.

He will also need to consider one genuine factor,which is on the note that the Buhari”s leadership of the country ,apart from those who cash in on his integrity and became elected,there are those who had stood their grounds even before the first tenure of the gentleman president,Muhammadu Buhari, became the president.

On this note the likes of the former Governor of Nasarawa state ,now Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura,cannot be undermined if the move for the APC retaining the seat of power is the expectation’ from the large followership the party have enjoyed for two consecutive elections.

A first point to look into is, the National chairman of the APC,as who takes over the helms of affairs of the party,is a determing factor to president Buhari’s successor.

To this end ,senator Al-Makura ,who has demonstrated a degree of affection and affinity for PMB and the APC ,even in the very foundation of the CPC can not be waved out.

Considering the doggedness of Al-Makura in the early formation of the CPC ,as the only governor under the platform in 2011, there is no doubting the fact that the Buhari emergence as the president of Nigeria, even when the merger was perfected, Al-Makura was instrumental to the success story.

The All Progressives Congress, could be at risk of awarding the National chairmanship position,but would stand a better chance in the upcoming 2023 general election against the oppositions .

The Mai- malla Buni led caretaker committee ,at the moment has an extended period of six months granted it by the National Executive Council NEC, as it dissolved all the state ,local government and wards units,however in Nasarawa state,the EXCO were reabsorbed,after the selection of Dr John Mamman, following the agreement of the party’s critical stakeholders in the state.

The selection process,became feasable on the maturity of some of the major APC stakeholders,like senator Abdullahi Adamu, Senator Godiya Akwashiki and some members of the house of representatives from Nasarawa state.

Pundits,had it that senator Al-Makura,among some of the party members from the north Central states,where the National chairmanship of the APC is believed to be zoned to based on the foregoing permutations of the party,will make a good party helmsman,that can reconcile the various agitations across APC states.

” Al-Makura, beyond being a governor , has led committees assigned him by the leadership of the party and came out successful.

” You would remember that he chaired a team during the election of Kayode Fayemi at Ondo state, where APC was returned victorious in that election.

Therefore,it is pertinent to state without equivocation that zoning the party chairmanship to the North Central geopolitical zone is a political balance sheet that the APC may be considering and having a man that has held strong the party manifesto from the scratch would be the best thing in the continuity of the party beyond the 2023 exit of president Muhammadu Buhari,against the calculations of some political jobbers.

Al-Makura,is focused, determined and has an account of succeeding in his political ventures,the hall mark of it all was unseating a sitting governor in 2011 and the 2019 senate election where he forced back home a 12 years ranking senator in the PDP.

His records of public administration during his time as governor of Nasarawa state for 8 years ,was a heavy blow that has silenced the then ruling PDP in the state,via visible establishment of infrastructure and human development,so much that against his opposers for who will succeed him,his records on the faces of the electorate subdued any political pranks as he successfully planted the incumbent governor of the state.

Al-Makura in the senate is not a bench warmer,as he has brought live to the once downtrodden physically challenged persons by working to ensure the establishment of the Disability Right Commission in a bill he sponsored.

Dr Umaru Tanko Al-Makura is a capacity leader,whose responsive leadership style and human relationship spans across the north central states,backed with his experiences and travel history,that only a thorough APC breed like him can move the party , against the doom prophets who feel the party may not continue in power after Buhari presidency.

The danger of undermining senator Al-Makura, too will plunge APC back into unforeseen personality crisis, which may affect a Buhari successor from the party.