Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has publicly challenged claims made by President Bola Tinubu that the late Muhammadu Buhari would not have become president in 2015 without his intervention and political support. Amaechi asserted that Buhari's victory was the result of collective efforts by several political actors, not solely due to Tinubu's role in persuading the former president to contest.
Amaechi's Role in the 2015 Campaign
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Friday, the former Rivers State governor highlighted his central role in Buhari's emergence. He noted that he led major political mobilisation efforts that contributed to the victory. 'When we decided to form the APC, while I was a minister, President Tinubu was claiming he made Buhari president, and I couldn't respond because I was the minister under President Buhari,' Amaechi said. 'That would be suicidal because Buhari could fire you. So I couldn't have said no then. He wasn't the president. I couldn't tell him, “You are wrong. You didn't make President Buhari president.”'
Campaign Leadership and Mobilisation
Amaechi, who served as director-general of Buhari's presidential campaign, emphasised that his role in the 2015 election extended beyond campaign management. 'Not only was I the DG of the campaign, but everybody will bear witness that I did all the battle,' he said. He added that, as chairman of the Nigeria Governors' Forum at the time, he traversed the country to mobilise political support. 'I led the governors' forum. I crisscrossed the country fighting here and there,' he explained.
Reflections on the 'Change' Agenda
Amaechi also reflected on the performance of the administration that emerged from the 2015 election, admitting that the 'change' agenda delivered mixed outcomes. 'Did we achieve the change? Here and there. In some areas, well, we did. In some areas, we did not,' he said. The former minister's comments have sparked discussions about the internal dynamics of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the contributions of various party leaders to the party's electoral successes.
