Amaechi Claims Credit for Buhari’s 2015 Victory, Downplays Tinubu’s Role

Amaechi Claims Credit for Buhari’s 2015 Victory, Downplays Tinubu’s Role

Former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has claimed that he played the pivotal role in securing the victory of late President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 presidential election, insisting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not “make” Buhari president.

Amaechi made the remarks during an interview on ARISE News’ Prime Time, where he responded to long-standing claims by Tinubu that his political structure and influence were central to Buhari’s emergence in 2015.

Amaechi challenged Tinubu’s assertion over Buhari’s 2015 victory, saying that while the President played a role in party mobilisation, he personally led more direct efforts that shaped the outcome of the election.

According to him, he was unable to openly dispute Tinubu’s claims at the time because he was serving as a minister in Buhari’s administration, a position that required political caution.

“When we decided to form the APC, while I was a minister, (Tinubu) was claiming he made Buhari president and I couldn’t respond because I was a minister under President Buhari. That would have been suicidal because Buhari could fire you,” Amaechi said.

He explained that his position within the federal cabinet limited his ability to publicly counter political narratives at the time.

Amaechi, who served as Director-General of Buhari’s 2015 presidential campaign, said he coordinated nationwide mobilisation efforts that contributed significantly to the APC’s electoral victory.

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“So I couldn’t have said, ‘You are wrong.’ He didn’t make President Buhari president. Not only was I the DG of the campaign, but everybody will bear witness that I did all the battle,” he said.

“I led the Governors’ Forum, criss-crossed the country fighting here and there trying to get Nigerians to know that this is the time for change.”

He further stated that he played a central role in rallying governors and political stakeholders during the formation of the APC coalition, which eventually ended the 16-year rule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015.

Amaechi was among the key opposition figures involved in the 2013–2014 political realignment that led to the creation of the APC.

The party emerged from a merger of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and factions of APGA and the PDP.

The coalition went on to defeat then-President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 general election, marking a major shift in Nigeria’s political history.

Political observers have continued to argue that both Amaechi and Tinubu played significant but different roles in the APC’s emergence, with Tinubu credited for strengthening the party’s South-West structure and Amaechi for coordinating governors and national campaign operations.

President Bola Tinubu has previously maintained that his political influence and strategic leadership were crucial to Buhari’s electoral success and the formation of the APC.

Amaechi’s comments come amid renewed political tensions among key figures involved in the 2015 coalition, as realignments begin ahead of future elections.

The former Rivers governor is currently positioning himself for the 2027 presidential race under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), where he is seeking the party’s presidential ticket.

He has also intensified criticism of the Tinubu administration in recent months, particularly over economic hardship, inflation, and broader governance concerns.

The renewed exchange of claims has reignited public debate over the political actors who truly shaped Buhari’s rise to power in 2015 and the internal dynamics of the APC coalition.

Amaechi Claims Credit for Buhari’s 2015 Victory, Downplays Tinubu’s Role