- Safiu Kehinde
Former Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has claimed being responsible for the emergence of late Muhammadu Buhari as Nigerian President.
Ameachi debunked President Bola Tinubu’s old claim that he made his late predecessor the president.
Recall that Tinubu had, during his campaign for the All Progressives Congress (APC) 2023 Presidential ticket, alleged being responsible for how Buhari emerged as the party’s flagbearer in 2019.
In his address delivered during a stakeholders meeting in Ogun state where he made the famous ‘Emi lokan’ statement , Tinubu held that Buhari would not have become the president of Nigeria if not for him.
Reflecting on the event during an interview on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme on Friday, Amaechi refuted Tinubu’s claim.
He held that would have debunked the claim right after Tinubu made the statement but was serving under Buhari and Minister which prevented him from reacting.
“When I was a Minister, President Tinubu claimed he made Buhari President and I couldn’t respond because I was a minister under Buhari.
“That would be suicidal because Buhari could fire you. I couldn’t have said no you didn’t make Buhari the President.” Amaechi said.
The former Rivers state governor thereafter claimed facing all the battles as the Campaign Director-General to make Buhari president.
He recalled leading the party’s governors’ forum and travelling across the country to campaign for the late former President.
“Not only was I the DG of the campaign, but everybody can testify that I did all the battle. I led the Governors’ Forum.
“I criss-crossed the country, fight here and there and trying to get Nigerians to know that this is a time for change.
“Did we achieve the change? Here and there. Some areas we did, in some areas we did not.” Amaechi added.