Amaechi disputes Tinubu’s role in Buhari’s emergence as president in 2015

Former Minister of Transportation and presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rotimi Amaechi, has dismissed claims by President Bola Tinubu that he was responsible for Muhammadu Buhari’s emergence as president in 2015.

Amaechi said he played the leading role in Buhari’s successful presidential campaign, insisting that he fought the political battles that secured victory for the former president during the 2015 election.

Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Friday night, the former Rivers State governor said Tinubu’s claim that he made Buhari president was not accurate.

According to him, he could not challenge Tinubu’s remarks at the time because he was serving as a minister in Buhari’s administration and did not want to jeopardise his position in government.

Amaechi recalled that Tinubu had publicly declared ahead of the 2023 presidential election that he was instrumental to Buhari’s victory and therefore deserved to succeed him as president.

However, Amaechi maintained that he was the Director-General of Buhari’s campaign in 2014 and actively led the political efforts that produced the former president.

“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,” Amaechi said.

“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,” he added.