We won’t allow ‘strongmen’ to hijack APC – Gov Buni

Yobe State Governor and Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Mai Mala Buni, has said his leadership will not allow any “strong man” to hijack the party.

Gov Buni also said the caretaker committee was more interested in seeking solutions to the avalanche of challenges bedevilling the party ahead of the 2023 general elections.

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He stated this during an interactive session with newsmen on Friday in Abuja with the theme: “Contestation A Veritable Process in Deepening Democratic Norms, Values and Culture: The APC Story”.

The governor who was represented by the Secretary of the Caretaker Committee, Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, said disputes in political party settings occured due to lack of internal democracy.

He said, “No man was born a slave, so resistance to oppressive tendencies is inherent in every human being. When pushed to the wall, he/she will fight back and oftentimes the party will be distracted and this leads to avoidable loss of elections.

“These skewed selection processes could occur due to the politics of godfatherism; where a certain strong man is allowed his way in return for patronage to the party or leaders of the party.

“The conventional system of one strong man in politics is no longer fashionable in the APC under me.”

The Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, also admitted that there were challenges in the party, but said leaders were not distracted or overwhelmed by the challenges.

Lawan who was represented by his Special Adviser on Media, Ola Awoniyi, said, “Though there are challenges, these challenges are not always insurmountable. They are like the storm in the tea cup. They will always blow away, given our continued resolve to remain the vehicle for the emancipation of Nigeria. We have come a long way and will not be distracted.

“The APC story is a story that is founded on fostering understanding among divergent interests. It is the story of creativity and ingenuity in the management of differences. The APC story is a story of brilliance in the administration of a plural system.”