Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not singlehandedly make Muhammadu Buhari president in 2015.
Mustapha made this statement on Wednesday in Abuja at the public presentation of a book titled “According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesperson’s Experience”, written by Garba Shehu, former media aide to President Buhari.
Speaking at the event, Mustapha said many leaders in the All Progressives Congress (APC) worked together to ensure Buhari’s victory.
“President Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and discipline were central to that breakthrough. Tinubu did not do it alone. Several other leaders contributed to the success of the merger and eventual victory in 2015,” Mustapha said.
He also explained how Buhari’s party, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), joined with other parties like the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and parts of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to form the APC.
“His endorsement and participation, along with other party leaders such as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, gave credibility to the merger,” Mustapha said.
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Mustapha recalled how votes for Buhari had grown over the years. He said this was why the merger aimed to support Buhari’s presidency.
“In 2003, Buhari got 2.7 million votes. In 2007, he had 6.6 million, and by 2011, 12.2 million votes. When we looked at these numbers, we believed a merger with Buhari’s party would help us win. That’s how we got a total of 15.4 million votes in 2015,” he said.
Mustapha also said some reforms being carried out by the Tinubu administration, like tax reforms, had already begun under Buhari.
He added, “I do not intend to stir controversy, but we in the ACN knew that a merger with CPC was the path to a Buhari presidency.”
Meanwhile, former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, who chaired the event, praised Buhari for being humble and open to advice.
“I must commend Gen. Buhari publicly for his disposition during his tenure. He made himself very accessible to me and was always willing to listen,” Gowon said.
Gowon also said Buhari tried his best during his eight years in office, especially in handling Nigeria’s security challenges.
“I know him as a person not inclined to worldly or materialistic things. No matter the misconceptions about Gen. Buhari, you can’t take away the fact that he has the firm interest of Nigeria at heart,” he added.