Former Rivers State Governor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has attributed his defeat to President Bola Tinubu in the 2022 All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary to a decision to rely on assurances from former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Amaechi made the disclosure during an interview with Mainland FM in Lagos, where he maintained that Tinubu’s victory was not necessarily a reflection of superior political strength.
He said he made a strategic mistake by accepting Buhari’s promise that he would be announced as the former president’s preferred candidate.
According to Amaechi, Buhari advised him against campaigning and assured him that he would receive his endorsement ahead of the party’s presidential primary.
“The reason Tinubu won the APC presidential primary in 2022 was that I made a mistake by listening to late President Buhari,” he said.
Amaechi further claimed that the former president gave him the assurance in writing, reinforcing his decision to suspend active campaign efforts.
“Buhari told me not to campaign and that he was going to announce me as his candidate. He told me that and put it in writing,” Amaechi added.
However, Tinubu eventually secured the APC presidential ticket at the party’s June 2022 convention in Abuja, defeating Amaechi and other aspirants.
Amaechi finished second in the contest, while Tinubu went on to contest the 2023 presidential election on the APC platform and emerged president.
The latest revelation offers Amaechi’s account of the political decisions and assurances that shaped his unsuccessful bid for the APC presidential ticket.
