The Vice-Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rotimi Amaechi, has blamed his defeat in the 2022 All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary on his decision to follow the advice of former President Muhammadu Buhari not to campaign ahead of the contest.
Amaechi disclosed this during an interview on Mainland FM in Lagos, where he reflected on how President Bola Tinubu defeated him to emerge as the APC presidential candidate.
The former Rivers State governor said Buhari had promised to announce him as his preferred candidate and advised him against campaigning or engaging in political negotiations with party stakeholders.
According to Amaechi, he trusted the former president’s assurance because Buhari was his boss at the time.
“The reason Tinubu won the APC presidential primary in 2022 was that I made a mistake by listening to late President Buhari,” he said.
“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 also said his failure to negotiate political deals with governors and other influential party members contributed to his loss.
He explained that he could have secured their support by promising key political positions, including the offices of vice-president and Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
The former Minister of Transportation said his decision gave Tinubu an opportunity to negotiate with party leaders and build support ahead of the primary.
Amaechi also accused Tinubu of using religious sentiments to win support from delegates, particularly in the North.
He, however, said he would not deploy religion as a political strategy, describing his position as a commitment to national unity.
Tinubu defeated Amaechi and other aspirants at the APC presidential primary held in June 2022, polling 1,271 votes against Amaechi’s 316.
Tinubu subsequently emerged as the party’s candidate and won the 2023 presidential election.
Amaechi, who served as transportation minister under Buhari, is now the running mate to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar on the ADC platform ahead of the 2027 election.
