Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has challenged claims that President Bola Tinubu single-handedly made Muhammadu Buhari president in 2015.
Speaking during an interview on Arise TV, Amaechi said several political figures contributed to Buhari’s historic victory, insisting that he personally played a major role in the campaign that brought the APC to power.
The former Rivers State governor reacted to Tinubu’s repeated comments that Buhari only became president because he convinced him to contest again after three failed attempts.
Tinubu had previously stated that he visited Buhari in Katsina and persuaded him to return to the presidential race ahead of the 2015 election.
But Amaechi disagreed with the idea that one person alone was responsible for Buhari’s emergence.
According to him, many political leaders worked together to build the All Progressives Congress (APC) and secure victory at the polls.
Amaechi revealed that while he was serving under Buhari’s administration, he avoided publicly responding to Tinubu’s statements because speaking against such narratives at the time could have created political problems for him.
The former minister stressed that he served as Director-General of Buhari’s presidential campaign and was deeply involved in nationwide political mobilisation during the election period.
He explained that his position as chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum at the time also helped him coordinate political support across different parts of the country.
Amaechi stated that he “did all the battle” during the campaign, travelling across the country and leading several strategic political efforts that contributed to the APC’s victory in 2015.
Reflecting on the APC government that followed, Amaechi admitted that the administration achieved progress in some areas but fell short in others.
According to him, the “change” Nigerians hoped for was only partially achieved.
His comments are already generating fresh political debate as conversations around Nigeria’s political history and the 2027 elections continue to grow.
Source: Arise TV
