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Ex-presidents

APC Leaders Engage in Heated Debate Over Role of Former President Buhari's Emergence as Party's President in 2015

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, has generated controversy with his statement that President Bola Tinubu played a pivotal role in former President Muhammadu Buhari's emergence as President in 2015. Mustapha argued that Buhari's consistent political base in the North had already guaranteed him 12 million votes in every election cycle, and that no single individual could claim credit for the remaining 3 million votes. However, Presidential aide, Tope Ajayi, countered that Buhari could not have clinched the APC ticket or won the presidency without Tinubu's political machinery and mobilization of key delegates.

**Key Takeaways:**

  • Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, claims that President Bola Tinubu did not play a decisive role in former President Muhammadu Buhari's emergence as President in 2015, stating that Buhari's 12 million Northern votes guaranteed his victory.
  • Presidential aide, Tope Ajayi, countered that Buhari could not have clinched the APC ticket or won the presidency without Tinubu's political influence and mobilization of key delegates.
  • Tinubu had claimed that he was solely responsible for Buhari's emergence as President in 2015, citing his role in helping Buhari's running mate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and his support for Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun's election.
  • Mustapha argued that Buhari's credibility, cult-like following in the North, and persistence played a more significant role in his eventual victory than any single political alliance or endorsement.
  • Garba Shehu, spokesperson to former President Buhari, stated that there is no rift between his principal and President Buhari, while a Buhari ally, Faroul Aliyu, disagreed with Mustapha's view, crediting Tinubu with helping Buhari secure the APC ticket and win the election.
  • Lauretta Onochie, a former Chairman of the Niger-Delta Development Commission, stated that Mustapha's revelation marked the expiration of a political falsehood, claiming that President Tinubu never supported Buhari's candidacy in 2014.

**Statistics:**

  • Buhari's consistent political base in the North had guaranteed him 12 million votes in every election cycle, Mustapha claimed.
  • Buhari's remaining 3 million votes were sourced from a coalition of parties, Mustapha stated.
  • 15.4 million total votes were recorded in the 2015 presidential election, with Buhari winning the majority.
  • Tinubu's mobilization of APC governors and delegates gave Buhari the edge at the 2014 APC convention, Ajayi claimed.
  • Buhari lost three presidential elections prior to his 2015 victory, including in 2003, 2007, and 2011.

**Sources:**

  • Garba Shehu, "Shehu Musa Yar'Adua Centre, Abuja: Ex-President Buhari's spokesperson publicly presented a book on his boss, titled, 'According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesperson's Experience.'"
  • Boss Mustapha, "According to statement made at the event."
  • Presidential aide, Tope Ajayi, "A post on X (formerly Twitter)."
  • Faroul Aliyu, "Disagreed with Mustapha's view in a reaction."
  • Lauretta Onochie, "A former Chairman of the Niger-Delta Development Commission, responded on X platform at the weekend."

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