2015 polls: Tinubu didn’t make Buhari president in 2015 – Boss Mustapha

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, said yesterday that former President Muhammadu Buhari was the main architect of the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) 2015 electoral success, not President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as widely claimed. Mustapha, who served in the Buhari administration, made the remarks on Wednesday in Abuja, during […]

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, said yesterday that former President Muhammadu Buhari was the main architect of the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) 2015 electoral success, not President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as widely claimed.

Mustapha, who served in the Buhari administration, made the remarks on Wednesday in Abuja, during the public presentation of “According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesperson’s Experience,” a new book authored by Garba Shehu, former Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Buhari.

The narrative that APC’s historic 2015 victory was primarily driven by Tinubu’s political manoeuvring has long persisted. The former Lagos State governor himself has repeatedly claimed credit, particularly during his campaign for the APC presidential ticket in 2022, arguing that without his intervention, Buhari would not have been elected president.

On June 1, 2022, while addressing APC delegates in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Tinubu stated: “If not for me standing solidly behind Buhari and encouraging him, he could not have become president.

“He tried the first time, he failed. The second time, he failed. The third time, he failed. He even cried on national television and vowed never to contest again. But I went to meet him in Kaduna and told him, ‘It is not about crying, you will run again, and we will stand by you and you will win—but only on the condition that you will not joke with Yoruba interests.’ And he agreed.”

However, in his remarks at the book launch, Mustapha dismissed Tinubu’s claim, crediting Buhari’s personal integrity and disciplined public image for his 2015 triumph.

He also credited Buhari as the architect of the reforms being pursued by the Tinubu administration, including tax reforms.

He explained that Buhari, as leader of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), played a key role in forming the APC through a merger with other parties, including the ACN, the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and members of the breakaway “New PDP”.

“In early 2013, Buhari formally requested and supported the creation of a CPC merger committee. The ANPP also had its own merger committee. His endorsement and participation—alongside other party leaders such as Tinubu and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, who was then Chairman of the ANPP’s Board of Trustees—lent credibility and direction to the merger. This helped unify disparate party factions under the APC banner,” Mustapha said.

“That coalition-building paved the way for the first democratic defeat of an incumbent ruling party in Nigeria’s history. President Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and disciplined messaging were central to that breakthrough.”

Mustapha further said that although the CPC controlled only one state at the time, the ACN had six and the ANPP three. Nonetheless, the 2015 APC presidential victory was largely built on Buhari’s loyal voter base.

“I don’t intend to stir any controversy, but I will make bold to state that the merger in 2013 was midwifed to present a Buhari presidency,” he said. “When we were conceptualising the merger, we considered the voting statistics. In 2003, Buhari got 2.7 million votes; in 2007, 6.6 million; and in 2011, 12.2 million.

“In the 2015 election, the total votes that gave APC victory were 15.4 million. Basically, what we brought to the table outside Buhari’s 12.2 million votes was 3.2.”

Daily Trust reports that Mustapha’s comments come amid growing signs of tension between Tinubu’s camp and loyalists of the former president. Former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), recently criticised the Tinubu administration, fuelling speculation that Buhari’s men are at odds with the current leadership.

Malami, who recently left the APC for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), accused Tinubu’s administration of “reckless decisions” that had crippled agriculture in the north. He also alleged that, instead of addressing insecurity and economic hardship, the APC had prematurely endorsed Tinubu for the 2027 election.

Earlier, National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, stated that Tinubu inherited “an extremely bad government,” referring to the Buhari administration.

Buhari lost three times before Tinubu’s help, president’s aide counters Mustapha

Efforts to get an official reaction from the presidency to Mustapha’s remarks were unsuccessful, but Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, responded on social media.

Ajayi argued that Buhari had consistently lost presidential elections—despite his northern support base—until Tinubu’s strategic backing in 2014.

“Let’s even leave the general election that brought Buhari to power. He wouldn’t have become president without first winning the APC presidential primary,” Ajayi wrote.

“Buhari had his 12 million captive northern votes, yet he lost the presidential elections in 2003, 2007, and 2011.”

He said it was Tinubu who ensured Buhari emerged as APC’s candidate by mobilising governors and delegates from the South West at the party’s 2014 convention in Lagos.

“Former SGF Boss Mustapha did a disservice to our recent history with that unnecessary glib at the book launch today. Every effort and support that made it possible for President Buhari to win should never be diminished,” Ajayi said.

 

Gowon: Buhari was a listening president

Also speaking at the event, former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd), described Buhari as a “listening president” who was accessible and receptive to advice.

“I must commend Gen. Buhari publicly for his disposition during his tenure,” Gowon said. “He made himself very accessible to me and was always willing to listen to advice or suggestions.”

He noted that Buhari tried to address the country’s overwhelming problems during his eight years in office, particularly insecurity.

“The officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies must be commended for their efforts and sacrifices,” he added. “I know Gen. Buhari to be a staunch believer in the Nigerian project. He is not inclined to materialistic pursuits. No matter the misconceptions about him, you can’t take away the fact that he has the firm interest of Nigeria at heart.”