Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has attributed his defeat in the 2022 All Progressives Congress presidential primary to his decision to trust the late President Muhammadu Buhari’s promise to endorse him as the party’s candidate.
Amaechi said Buhari had assured him in writing that he would be announced as the preferred presidential aspirant, leading him to refrain from campaigning and negotiating political alliances ahead of the contest.
The African Democratic Congress chieftain disclosed this during an interview on Mainland 98.3FM’s The Situation Room programme in Lagos on Friday, while reflecting on how President Bola Tinubu defeated him to secure the APC ticket.
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“The first mistake that I made at that primary was that I listened to President Buhari. He said to me, ‘Don’t campaign. Don’t do anything. I will announce you as my candidate,’” Amaechi said.
“He told me that. He put it in writing. When I write my book, I’ll put it out.”
Amaechi said he considered Buhari’s assurance credible because the former president was his boss and believed his endorsement would give him an advantage over other aspirants.
He, however, said his failure to negotiate political deals with governors and influential party figures weakened his chances, while giving Tinubu room to build alliances.
According to him, he could have offered political appointments, including the vice-presidency and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, in exchange for support.
“Now, I didn’t do deals. So I would have promised you vice-president, promised you SGF, and then would have gone for this primary, I would have possibly won. I would have had governors on my side.
“Because I didn’t do deals, Tinubu had the chance to do deals,” he said.
Amaechi also accused Tinubu of exploiting religious sentiments to secure delegates’ support, particularly in the North.
He alleged that a delegation of Southern Yoruba Muslims had approached governors in the North-West to persuade them to support Tinubu on religious grounds.
The former Rivers State governor cited former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, whom he said had initially supported his presidential ambition before backing Tinubu.
“El-Rufai was my supporter. El-Rufai, in a viral video, said this is done for the faith,” Amaechi said.
He said he would not use religious identity as a political tool, arguing that such an approach could deepen divisions in the country.
“I wouldn’t want to run that kind of federation. Catholics are 35 million in Nigeria. I wouldn’t want to go to the Catholic Church and say, please announce me. Tell them that all Catholics must go out and vote Amaechi.
“It will cause confusion. It will cause problems in the country. That makes me a nationalist,” he said.
Amaechi also questioned the perception of Tinubu as an exceptionally strategic politician, asking why he had not become president earlier if his political success was based on an extraordinary ability to manoeuvre.
Tinubu defeated Amaechi and other aspirants at the APC presidential primary held at Eagle Square, Abuja, in June 2022, polling 1,271 votes against Amaechi’s 316.
The victory secured Tinubu the party’s ticket for the 2023 presidential election, which he went on to win.
Amaechi served as Minister of Transportation under Buhari and was also a close political ally of the former president, having directed his successful 2015 presidential campaign.
He is now the running mate to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar on the ADC ticket for the 2027 presidential election.
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