THERE WAS NO HAND OVER DEAL BETWEEN BUHARI AND TINUBU – AMAECHI
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has stated that there was no agreement that President Muhammadu Buhari would hand over to former Lagos State Governor and National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in 2023.
In an interview, Amaechi said he was not privy to details of the alleged agreement, and was not sure whether there was a private meeting between Buhari and Tinubu where any such agreement was reached.
He said that as the Director-General of APC Campaign Organisation, he never witnessed such a decision. “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”, he added.
There were speculations that Buhari andTinubu had a pact on the 2023 presidency. The circulation of the claim dates back to the months before the 2015 general elections.
A source hinted that after Tinubu was dropped as All Progressives Congress (APC) Vice Presidential candidate to douse opposition to a Muslim-Muslim ticket, a deal on 2023 was agreed with Buhari.
Some politicians, including the then ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had accused the APC of an Islamization agenda, which forced some power brokers in the APC to calm downTinubu and conceded the selection of Buhari’s running mate to him.
Former Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Yemi Osinbajo was picked ahead of Ekiti Governor, Kayode Fayemi. Before the 2019 polls, the President was alleged to have re-assured Tinubu of the ticket.
It was claimed that Tinubu invited Bisi Akande, former Osun Governor and APC first National Chairman to join him on a visit to the Presidential Villa, where Buhari was alleged to have promised to hand over to him in 2023.
