Buhari promised to make me 2023 APC Presidential candidate, asked me not to campaign, Amaechi says
African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has blamed his defeat to President Bola Tinubu in the 2022 All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary on his decision to heed advice from the late President Muhammadu Buhari not to campaign ahead of the contest.
Amaechi said Buhari had assured him in writing that he would announce him as his preferred successor, prompting him to suspend efforts to lobby delegates and build political alliances before the primary.
He made the disclosure during an interview on Mainland 98.3FM’s The Situation Room programme in Lagos on Friday, while recounting how he lost the APC presidential ticket to Tinubu.
According to Amaechi, he trusted Buhari’s assurance because the former president was his boss and believed his endorsement would put him in a strong position to win the contest.
“The first mistake that I made at that primary was that I listened to President Buhari. He said to me, ‘Don’t campaign. Don’t do anything. I will announce you as my candidate.’
“He told me that. He put it in writing. When I write my book, I’ll put it out,” he said.
The former Rivers State governor also attributed his defeat to his refusal to negotiate political positions with governors and other influential party leaders in exchange for their support.
He argued that he could have attracted more delegates by offering political appointments, including the vice-presidency and the position of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
“Now, I didn’t do deals. So I would have promised you vice-president, promised you SGF, and then would have gone for this primary, I would have possibly won. I would have had governors on my side.
“Because I didn’t do deals, Tinubu had the chance to do deals,” Amaechi said.
He also accused Tinubu of using religious sentiments to mobilise support among delegates, particularly in the northern part of the country.
