Amaechi: Buhari Promised Me Apc Ticket In Writing, Told Me Not To Campaign

Posted by Nwa Diokpa Featured, Latest Headlines, News, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Sunday, November 8th, 2026

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi has said he lost the 2022 APC presidential primary because he followed late President Muhammadu Buhari’s advice not to campaign

Speaking on Mainland 98.3FM’s The Situation Room in Lagos on Friday, Amaechi said Buhari promised in writing to announce him as his preferred candidate.

“The first mistake 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 put it in writing. When I write my book, I’ll put it out.”

Amaechi said he also refused to make political deals with governors and party leaders, which he said gave Tinubu room to build alliances.

“I didn’t do deals. So I would have promised you vice-president, promised you SGF… I would have possibly won. Because I didn’t do deals, Tinubu had the chance to do deals,” he said.

He also accused Tinubu of using religion to win support in the North, alleging that a delegation of Southern Yoruba Muslims asked North-West governors to back Tinubu on religious grounds.

Amaechi said he would not use religion for political gain. “Catholics are 35 million in Nigeria. I wouldn’t want to go to the Catholic Church and say, please announce me… It will confuse. It will cause problems in the country. That makes me a nationalist,” he said.

He also questioned Tinubu’s reputation as a master strategist, asking why he had not become president earlier if his success came from political skill.

Tinubu won the June 2022 primary at Eagle Square, Abuja, with 1,271 votes against Amaechi’s 316, and went on to win the 2023 presidential election.