Rotimi Amaechi has said former President Muhammadu Buhari assured him of the All Progressives Congress presidential ticket ahead of the 2022 primary, and that he now regrets acting on that assurance. Channels Television reported the remarks on Saturday, 7 November 2026.
According to Channels Television, Amaechi said Buhari also advised him against campaigning. He linked that advice to his loss in the APC primary, which Bola Tinubu won on the way to the presidency.
Amaechi's account places the promise and the advice in the period before the party's presidential primary. He did not, in the reported remarks, offer further detail on when or where the assurance was given.
The former transportation minister's statement adds to the public record of how the ruling party's 2022 nomination contest was decided. It also puts renewed scrutiny on Buhari's role in the process, since Amaechi says the president's guidance shaped his own campaign decisions.
Coverage of the remarks was carried by several Nigerian outlets, including TheCable and Daily Post Nigeria, alongside Channels Television.
It is not yet clear whether Buhari or his representatives will respond to the claim. Watch for any reaction from the former president's camp and from the APC.
