Amaechi Counters Tinubu, Claims He Led Buhari’s 2015 Victory Push

Former Rotimi Amaechi has dismissed claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was solely responsible for the emergence of late Muhammadu Buhari as president in 2015, insisting that he played the central role in securing the historic victory.

Amaechi made the remarks during an interview on Prime Time on Arise News on Friday, amid growing political realignments ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The former Rivers governor, who is now seeking the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said he refrained from challenging Tinubu’s claims publicly while serving as Minister of Transportation under Buhari’s administration to avoid political repercussions.

“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 argued that his role as Director-General of Buhari’s 2015 and 2019 presidential campaigns placed him at the forefront of the political struggle that brought the former president to power.

“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 stated.

Amaechi further recalled how he mobilised political forces across the country as chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum at the time, saying he travelled extensively to build support for the opposition coalition that eventually defeated then-President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 election.

“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 added.

Amaechi was among the key figures behind the 2013–2014 political realignment that saw several governors defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join forces with opposition blocs in forming the All Progressives Congress (APC).

However, Tinubu also played a major role in the coalition-building process that birthed the APC, particularly through the merger of opposition parties, including his former Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), which helped unseat the PDP after 16 years in power.

Amaechi’s comments come as he intensifies criticism of the Tinubu administration over worsening economic conditions, while positioning himself within the emerging opposition coalition under the ADC ahead of the 2027 presidential race.