The Presidency has firmly rejected remarks by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, suggesting that President Bola Tinubu was not instrumental in Muhammadu Buhari’s 2015 presidential win.
Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Media and Public Affairs, criticised Mustapha’s comments as a “misrepresentation of recent history”.
Ajayi argued that without Tinubu’s political clout and strategic efforts, Buhari would not have secured the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential nomination, let alone the presidency.
He made these remarks in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Wednesday, responding to Mustapha’s speech at the Abuja launch of According to the President, a book by Buhari’s former spokesman, Garba Shehu.
At the event, Mustapha was said to have underplayed Tinubu’s influence in Buhari’s ascent to power.
Ajayi, however, countered this assertion, highlighting the decisive 2014 APC primary election at Lagos’ Teslim Balogun Stadium, where Tinubu’s sway over APC governors and South-West delegates proved crucial in securing Buhari’s nomination.
“There was no way he (Buhari) would have won the election to be president without first becoming the presidential candidate of his party APC,” Mr Ajayi said.
“General Buhari would not have won the APC primary election at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, in 2014 without President Tinubu, who mobilised the APC governors and the South West delegates to move Buhari’s way,” the presidential spokesperson said.
He further argued that while Mr Buhari had a consistent support base of around 12 million votes from the North, it took Mr Tinubu’s backing and strategic alliance-building to translate that into a nationwide victory.
“Buhari had his 12 million captive Northern votes, yet he lost three presidential elections in 2003, 2007, and 2011,” Mr Ajayi said. “Every effort and support that made it possible for President Buhari to win should never be diminished.”
Buhari’s Historic 2015 Victory: How the Opposition Unseated an Incumbent
The 2015 presidential election saw Muhammadu Buhari, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), achieve a historic milestone by defeating incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). This marked Nigeria’s first-ever electoral ousting of a sitting president.
Buhari secured 15,424,921 votes against Jonathan’s 12,853,162, claiming victory in 21 of Nigeria’s 36 states. His success was anchored by overwhelming support in the northern regions and decisive backing from the Southwest.
This watershed moment was made possible by a carefully constructed opposition coalition, born from the merger of several parties and bolstered by strategic alliances—most notably with South West political leaders, chief among them Bola Tinubu.
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