Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has pushed back against claims by President Bola Tinubu that he was solely responsible for the victory of late former President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 presidential election.
Amaechi insisted that Buhari’s emergence as president was not the effort of one individual, but a collective political struggle within the All Progressives Congress (APC). He maintained that he played a major role in mobilising support nationwide, including serving as the Director-General of the campaign and chairing key political structures at the time.
His response comes after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu previously stated during his 2023 campaign that he played a decisive role in Buhari’s 2015 victory, a claim that has continued to generate political debate within the ruling party.
Amaechi said he was unable to publicly challenge that narrative while serving as a minister under Buhari’s administration, explaining that speaking out at the time could have cost him his position. According to him, remaining silent was a political necessity, not agreement.
He further stressed that as chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and campaign director, he was deeply involved in the mobilisation efforts that led to the APC’s historic victory in 2015.
Amaechi also reflected on the APC’s “change” agenda, noting that while the party’s rise to power marked a major political shift, its performance in government has been mixed and remains open to public judgment.