Dr Ajibola Surajudeen Basiru Is Our Party’s Democratic Image | Prof Aderemi Suleiman Ajala
It is not an overstatement to say that Senator Dr. Ajibola Surajudeen Basiru, (SRJ) the current National Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC) is our party’s true democratic image. His current regime as the National Secretary has introduced a lot of administrative efficiencies and innovations in our national party secretariat.
Being a seasoned politician and administrator, SRJ has cut his onions from diverse administrative and political experiences. He began his politics as students’ union activist in the university. This made him an opportunity to be resilient and calculative having deeper root in community politics. He was trained as a lawyer with strong capacity for deep thinking and awareness of society orderliness. His career in Law was successful both in private legal practice and as a scholar. Thus, SRJ is a critical thinker and writer. His many national and international media features on television stations attest to this. He was appointed as Commissioner for eight years in Osun state and elected to the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for four years. An opportunity that offered him a chance to invest in grassroot political mobilisation, through which he drives large constituency of the progressive politicians in Nigeria.
Putting all these into practice as the current APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Surajudeen Basiru has distinguished himself as a quintessential Chief Scribe of the biggest rulling political party in Nigeria. Before his assumption of office, two years ago, office of the National Secretary of APC was passive, but SRJ rejigged the office of the National Secretary as soon as he resumed the office. He worked harmoniously at first with Dr. Ganduje who was the former National Chairman of the party and later with Professor Nentawe Yilwatilda the current National Chairman of the party. It seems the tenure is carefully drawn to test intellectual politics in APC, thus, it is like Dr. Ajibola Surajudeen Basiru got what he knows best- merging deep thinking with partisan politics. Thus, the manifestation of many outputs that have marked his administration of the APC National Secretary since he got to the office.
During his present tenure SRJ recalibrated the secretariat by reducing redundancy and breeding effective policy decisions and implementation. He redesigned the secretariat to once look like a descent public office, where officials of the secretariat must report to their different desks to time and work deligently – a mark of distinction from what obtains in other political parties’ secretariats in Nigeria, where officials are only sighted in office when they have meetings. SRJ makes sure that all the structures of our party at the national level are adequately informed of the party decisions and progress. This strengthens inclusion in party management.
Knowing that the party is a strong informal organ of governance, SRJ regularly informs Nigerians and the international community the progress made by the national government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through his regular media contacts. In all his media engagements, he displays mastery of governance, well informed and properly articulated positions of the Progressives in power. His eloguency potrays him as exemplary APC Scribe.
Dr. Ajibola Basiru moves the party from analog to digital party system in Nigeria. No sooner that digitalisation of membership was given force of law, the national secretariat of APC set the framework for its membership digitalisation. No wonder that till present only the APC has fulfilled the legal requirement that all parties must produce digital registration of their membership. Through the office of the national secretary, headed by Dr. Ajibola Basiru, seamless logistics including training of the digital officials were expediently done throughout Nigeria. This has been acclaimed as a huge success for the party.
While Dr. Ajibola Surajudeen Basiru serves as the current National Secretary, APC has had less rancorous primary elections into national and state elective offices as so far oganized by the national secretariat. The party has also witnessed huge success in off-circle gubernatorial and national parliamentary elections conducted in Nigeria.
Concerned with membership drives, APC witnessed mass defections from other political parties joining APC. International branches of APC have been recharged, and across all the 36 states including the Federal Capital Territory, grassroot membership in APC has surged up astronomically. These efforts assure APC of winning the forthcoming 2027 federal election. The Office of the Secretary has set up a number of activities that will ensure the party, an overwhelming victory in 2027 election.
As the party prepares for the next national Congress, it is desirable for the party critical stakeholders to consider re-election of Dr. Ajibola Surajudeen Basiru as the National Secretary. This should not be based on sentiment but rather on the capacity and the understanding of the working system of the party. Dr. Ajibola Surajudeen Basiru has demonstrated his excellent capacities and he has shown the path to success in the party. He is therefore trusted to retain his position as the National Secreatary of the party for the next tenure.
Prof. Aderemi Suleiman Ajala
Ward 1, Ilobu
Irepodun Local Government
Osun State.
