Buhari Promised Me APC Presidential Ticket in 2022, I Regret Listening to Him — Amaechi

Former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has said he regrets following the advice of late former President Muhammadu Buhari not to campaign ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary in 2022.

Amaechi disclosed that Buhari had assured him he would receive the party’s presidential ticket and promised to announce him as his preferred candidate.

Speaking during an interview on Mainland 98.3FM’s The Situation Room programme in Lagos, Amaechi said the former president advised him against campaigning, lobbying delegates or engaging in political negotiations before the primary.

According to him, Buhari also gave him the assurance in writing, a document he said he intends to make public when he publishes his book.

Amaechi described his decision to rely on the promise as a major political mistake, saying it prevented him from building the alliances and securing the support needed to win the contest.

He said he later realised that other aspirants, particularly President Bola Tinubu, were actively engaging party stakeholders and negotiating support while he remained confident in Buhari’s assurance.

“The first mistake that I made at that primary was that I listened to President Buhari,” Amaechi said.

He added that his failure to engage in political deals gave other aspirants an advantage during the contest.

At the APC presidential primary held in Abuja in June 2022, Tinubu won with 1,271 votes, while Amaechi finished second with 316 votes.

Tinubu subsequently emerged as the party’s presidential candidate and went on to win the 2023 general election.

Amaechi’s comments offer a fresh account of the political negotiations and internal dynamics surrounding the APC primary, while his claim about Buhari’s written promise remains his personal account.

The former Rivers State governor is now aligned with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 general election.