- Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has claimed that he not President Bola Tinubu played the major role in making Muhammadu Buhari president in 2015.
- Amaechi also accused the Tinubu administration of creating economic hardship and hunger as a means of manipulating voters ahead of future elections.
Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Rivers State governor, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, has stirred political reactions after claiming that he was responsible for Muhammadu Buhari’s emergence as president in 2015 not Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Amaechi made the statement during an interview on ARISE News while discussing his role in the formation and electoral victories of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to him, he played a more significant role in Buhari’s presidential victory than many Nigerians acknowledge.
“I made Buhari president, not Tinubu,” Amaechi stated during the interview.
The former minister explained that although Tinubu was influential within the APC, he personally led major campaign efforts that helped Buhari secure victory in the 2015 and 2019 elections.
Political records show that Amaechi served as the Director-General of Buhari’s presidential campaigns after defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
Amaechi also claimed that while he disagreed with certain narratives at the time, he could not openly challenge Tinubu because of internal party dynamics and his position within the ruling party.
In another part of the interview, the former governor criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration over the current economic situation in Nigeria.
According to him, the worsening hardship and hunger in the country are being politically weaponised.
“The President is creating hunger as a way of manipulating voters,” Amaechi alleged.
The statement has since sparked widespread reactions online, with supporters and critics debating Amaechi’s contributions to Buhari’s rise and his recent criticism of the APC-led government.
While some Nigerians agreed with his concerns about hardship and governance, others accused him of speaking out only after allegedly losing political influence within the ruling party.
Amaechi is currently being linked with possible political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with reports suggesting he may be interested in contesting for the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
