Amaechi Reveals Buhari's Promise of APC Presidential Ticket in 2022

Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has disclosed that late President Muhammadu Buhari assured him of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket ahead of the party's 2022 presidential primary. Amaechi made this revelation during an interview on Mainland 98.3FM's The Situation Room programme in Lagos. He discussed the circumstances surrounding his defeat to President Bola Tinubu during the APC presidential primary held in June 2022.

According to Amaechi, Buhari personally assured him that he would emerge as his preferred candidate, even communicating the promise in writing. This made Amaechi believe there was no need to engage in intense political negotiations taking place ahead of the primary. However, Amaechi described his decision to follow Buhari's advice as one of the biggest mistakes he made during the contest. He said he relied on Buhari's promise and consequently failed to build the political alliances that could have strengthened his chances of emerging as the party's presidential candidate.

Amaechi explained that his relationship with Buhari influenced his decision to accept the former president's position without aggressively pursuing support from influential members of the ruling party. Having served as Minister of Transportation under Buhari, Amaechi regarded the former president as someone whose assurance carried considerable political weight. He believed that Buhari's decision to support him would give him an advantage over other presidential aspirants.

However, Amaechi's failure to engage governors and other powerful party stakeholders in political negotiations affected his chances at the primary. He argued that presidential contests within political parties require extensive consultations, alliances, and agreements. According to him, several governors and influential party members were in positions to influence the outcome of the exercise, but he did not make the necessary commitments to secure their support.

Amaechi maintained that he could have offered key political positions to some of the governors in exchange for their backing. He specifically mentioned the offices of Vice-President and Secretary to the Government of the Federation as positions he could have discussed during negotiations. He said his unwillingness to enter such arrangements gave Tinubu an opportunity to strengthen his political base and secure support from different groups within the APC.

The ADC chieftain also spoke about the role of religion in the 2022 APC presidential contest, accusing Tinubu's supporters of using religious sentiments to mobilise delegates, particularly in the northern part of the country. Amaechi alleged that a group of Southern Yoruba Muslims approached governors in the North-West and appealed to them to support Tinubu on religious grounds. He suggested that the strategy helped Tinubu attract support from political stakeholders who might otherwise have considered other candidates.

Despite his allegations, Amaechi maintained that he would not adopt religious mobilisation as a strategy to secure political support, even if doing so could improve his chances of winning an election. He described himself as a nationalist and argued that Nigeria's religious diversity should not be turned into a tool for political competition. According to him, using religious identity to mobilise voters could create unnecessary divisions among Nigerians and threaten peaceful coexistence in the country.

Key points

• Amaechi claims Buhari promised him the APC presidential ticket in 2022 but he failed to build necessary alliances.
• Amaechi's decision to rely on Buhari's promise led to his defeat in the APC presidential primary.
• Amaechi rejects using religious mobilisation as a strategy to secure political support.