A former Minister of Transportation and presidential hopeful of the African Democratic Congress, Rotimi Amaechi, has dismissed claims by President Bola Tinubu that he was responsible for the emergence of late former President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 presidential election.
Amaechi stated this during an interview on Arise Television on Friday night, insisting that he led the political battle that brought Buhari to power as the Director General of the former president’s campaign.
Recall that Tinubu had, ahead of the 2023 presidential election, claimed that he played a major role in Buhari’s victory in 2015, saying it was therefore his turn to become president.
However, Amaechi said he could not challenge Tinubu’s statement at the time because he was serving in Buhari’s cabinet and any public disagreement could have cost him his position.
He said, “When I was a minister, Tinubu was claiming he made Buhari president, and I couldn’t respond because that was suicidal. Buhari could have fired me because I was still serving as a minister.
“Tinubu didn’t make Buhari president. Not only that I was the DG of the campaign, everyone knows that I did all the battle, not Tinubu.”
Amaechi maintained that his role in coordinating the campaign and mobilising political support across the country was central to Buhari’s victory at the polls in 2015.
