By Idris Ibrahim
A former Governor of Rivers state and current Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has debunked claims that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has resolved to hand over power to its chieftain, Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2023.
There are speculations that the ruling APC had an agreement to hand over its party presidential ticket to Mr. Tinubu when the political party was formed in 2014.
So far, Tinubu is yet to openly declare his presidential ambition officially.
However, Mr. Amaechi who served as Director-General of the Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Organisation in 2015 and 2019 respectively, said he’s not aware of any pact that President Muhammadu Buhari would hand over power to Mr. Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state.
The minister made the disclosure in an exclusive interview with Daily Trust in Abuja.
Amaechi noted that he doesn’t know if the duo held a private meeting regarding the matter. “I would not like to answer this question because I am neither Tinubu nor Buhari. I don’t know if they held a private meeting in that regard.”
However, Amaechi said, “As the director-general of APC Campaign Organisation, I never witnessed such decision,” the minister said.
He added, “Beyond being the director-general of the campaign organisation, I was the chairman of the Governors Forum. Most of the decisions on who would emerge as party chairman in 2014 were done by the forum, so I should know those ones. But if there was a private meeting between President Buhari and our leader, Tinubu, I wouldn’t know.”
“If it was a public APC meeting and I was not there, then something must be wrong. I was not told that there was an agreement that power should be handed over to Tinubu.” the minister revealed.
There are speculations that Mr. Amaechi who is also a key figure in President Buhari’s led administration has interest to run for President in 2023. Like Mr. Tinubu, the minister is yet to declare his intention officially.
Mr. Buhari led APC administration first came into power in 2015 after defeating former President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The opposition party ruled Nigeria for 16years.
