LAGOS — Former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has disclosed that former President Muhammadu Buhari assured him in writing of securing the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket ahead of the June 2022 primary election, instructing him not to campaign or negotiate with delegates.
Speaking on Friday during an interview on Mainland 98.3FM’s The Situation Room in Lagos, Amaechi—who now serves as the vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC)—stated that relying on Buhari’s written commitment was his biggest strategic mistake, as it prevented him from making political deals with state governors to secure the nomination, which ultimately allowed President Bola Tinubu to build key alliances and win the ticket.
The former Rivers State governor revealed that while rival aspirants engaged in high-stakes political trade-offs by promising influential figures key positions such as the Vice-Presidency and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), he refrained from doing deals due to his trust in the former president’s pledge, which he promised to publish in an upcoming book.
Amaechi also alleged that religious sentiment played a major role in shaping the outcome of the APC primary at Eagle Square, claiming a delegation of South-West Muslim leaders persuaded North-West governors to pivot away from him toward Tinubu on faith-based grounds, causing key supporters like former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai to shift allegiance.
Refusing to resort to religious mobilization to advance his political career, Amaechi emphasized that appealing strictly to faith blocs like Nigeria’s estimated 35 million Catholics would trigger deep national divisions, reiterating his commitment to running a nationalist platform alongside his running mate, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, on the ADC ticket for the 2027 presidential election.
