APC National Chairmanship: Al-Makura Is The Perfect Fit

Nigeria has tacitly adopted a binary political disposition since the inception of the fourth republic in 1999. Two political parties seem to dominate the landscape with a constellation of some regional and fringe parties jostling to make inroads.

APP (as it then was) and PDP dominated the power play at the center at the beginning of the current republic. However, the PDP had the fortune of taking the shot of leading the country in the first 16years running from 1999 to 2007.

Apparently, increasing discontent by most Nigerians with the PDP government gave rise to the agitation for an alternative leadership for the country, as the people thought – and rightly so – that they deserved better. On that score, it took the political ingenuity of the leaders of some key legacy parties – Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), all Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to merge into a formidable political force, the APC, that successfully broke the hegemony and stranglehold of the PDP in 2015.

To achieve that feat, the newly birthed party needed a man with the pedigree, popularity, image, stature, and unimpeachable integrity like General Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd), as he then was. It remains a watershed in Africa’s politics, underlying the fact that character, credibility, and integrity are critical components for successful electoral contestation for any political party in a plural society like ours.

In furtherance to this timeless truth, there is a confluence of opinions by political watchers and pundits that the APC cannot afford to get it wrong on who emerges to lead the party as the national chairman at the forthcoming convention.

There is no doubt that the APC has evolved since after that 2015 historic victory. However, the ruling party’s growth, as it is with every human organization, is not bereft of its fair share of the challenges. Against this backdrop, some gladiators have presented themselves to be hired by the party in the next convention slated for 26th February 2022.

However, while the rights and contributions of all the aspirants for the national chairmanship of the party are well recognized and appreciated, Distinguished Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, clearly stands out as the aspirant with the most distinguishable leadership features. Moreover, the rich political pedigree of Al-Makura, which is quite enigmatic, has set him on a glowing pedestal in the workings and management of the affairs of a major political party like the APC.

TA’AL, as his admirers fondly call him, is a home-grown educationist, businessman, administrator, and politician with the understanding and capacity to play for the high stakes in our body polity. He has demonstrated character traits that stand him out in all the critical assignments he has been entrusted with in the past, grinding out remarkable results under challenging situations.

As the governor of his home state of Nassarawa, Al-Makura was saddled with leading the committee to restore peace and resolve contentious issues in the party in some states in the Northeast in 2018. He discharged the assignment dutifully, and the party became better for it. He chaired the party’s electoral committee that conducted the 2018 governorship primaries in Ekiti State, and he delivered to the admiration of all stakeholders. By this, he helped lay the foundation for the eventual victory of the party against an incumbent PDP government in the state.

Al-Makura is the real Octopus with the Midas touch for beating the PDP. In 2011, Tanko Al-Makura demonstrated uncommon political prowess when he led the newly formed CPC to upstage a well-entrenched incumbent PDP government in the Nasarawa governorship election, thus making him the only CPC governor.

He is regarded as a man of unparalleled wit who understands the rudiments of partisan politics – an effortless political genius of sorts. As the APC is undergoing a snooze time, the party will need the dispassionate candor and enviable charisma of Al-Makura to be on the driving seat to navigate it through the murky waters.

As one of the founding fathers of the party where he served on the merger committee, Al-Makura comes across as a man with the depth and understanding of the vision of the party. He has a full grasp of the direction of the party. The distinguished Senator is not only abreast of the issues plaguing the party, he is equally set out to consolidate on the gains already recorded by previous leaderships of the party and the Caretaker Committee well-led by Governor Mai Mala Buni, and chart a progressive course for the party in the future. As a good team player, he is well positioned to work with the leader of the party, President Muhammadu Buhari, to build tight synergy with other stakeholders to guarantee victory for the party as the 2023 general election beckons.

Besides, Al-Makura is an exceptional gentleman, who has built a superlative network of friends across the length and breadth of the country. He has quietly etched his name as a detribalized Nigerian with the right frame of mind to stabilize the ship of the APC going forward.

He is also a listening leader. He also believes that quality ideas could come from anyone, irrespective of status.

Al-Makura might not have a massive frame, but he does have massive brain. The Senator is a good blend of the young, old, and middleages. He is so young at heart with innovative ideas, good discretion, result-oriented, and keeps tabs on modern trends, yet maintains timeless values in all his dealings. Al-Makura is savvy and keeps his eyes on the ball at all times. These are some of the vital elements that the party needs to sustain its progressive inclination.

Therefore, Al-Makura is truly the perfect fit for the rebirth and resurgence that the party is so desirous ahead of the 2023 elections and beyond.

Oyama is a social commentator writes from Abuja

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