Former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi revealed on 7 November 2026 that President Muhammadu Buhari promised him the All Progressives Congress presidential ticket in writing ahead of the June 2022 primaries. Amaechi stated that Buhari ordered him to avoid political campaigns and refrain from cutting deals with state governors across the country. The former minister trusted the presidential word completely. Naive reliance on executive promises ruined his political strategy.
Amaechi explained that his strict obedience to Buhari prevented him from offering cabinet posts or vice-presidential slots to key party brokers. While he sat back on executive instructions, rival contender Bola Tinubu built strong alliances with influential northern governors and delegates. Tinubu leveraged political trade-offs and regional appeals to capture the primary vote at Eagle Square in Abuja. Backroom deals beat passive loyalty every single time.
The former governor of Rivers State declared that he will publish Buhari’s written commitment in his upcoming memoir to prove the endorsement. He admitted that his failure to negotiate directly with state power brokers remains the single biggest error of his political career. Amaechi finished second in the primary contest with 316 votes while Tinubu won the party nomination. Trusting a retiring president to hand over power proved fatal.
The revelations expose the weak internal mechanics that govern candidate selection inside major political parties. Presidential assurances mean very little when state governors control local delegate blocs during national conventions. Nigerian politicians routinely discover that executive promises evaporate under the intense pressure of primary elections. Relying on written pledges without securing delegate votes guarantees defeat.
Amaechi now campaigns as the vice-presidential candidate for the African Democratic Congress alongside presidential aspirant Atiku Abubakar for the 2027 elections. His public disclosure signals a complete break with his former political associates inside the ruling party. Revisiting past primary betrayals helps opposition leaders paint the ruling establishment as untrustworthy power brokers. Narrative control drives early election campaigns.
Political history shows that power in Nigeria is grabbed through aggressive deal-making rather than inherited through presidential handovers. Candidates who rely on backroom promises without mobilising grassroots delegates consistently lose key nomination contests. Amaechi learned this harsh lesson on the convention floor four years ago. Real political clout requires firm structural alliances.