July 09, (THEWILL) — Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, has refuted claims by President Bola Tinubu that he was solely responsible for Muhammadu Buhari’s emergence as President in 2015.
Mustapha made the rebuttal on Tuesday in Abuja during the public presentation of “According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesperson’s Experience”, a book authored by former presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu.
Tinubu, in a 2022 address in Abeokuta, Ogun State, had claimed that he played a pivotal role in Buhari’s victory after three failed attempts, including nominating Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as Buhari’s running mate and helping Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun win his election.
Tinubu had said: “If not for me that stood behind Buhari, he wouldn’t have become President. He tried the first time, he failed. Second time, he failed. The third, he failed.
“He even wept on national television and vowed never to contest again. But I went to Kaduna and told him, ‘You will run again. I will stand by you and you will win — but you must not joke with the Yorubas.’ And he agreed.”
But Mustapha dismissed the claim as historically inaccurate, noting that Buhari’s consistent political base in the North had already guaranteed him 12 million votes in every election cycle, a foundation which no single individual could claim credit for.
According to Mustapha, “In 2011, we needed a coalition, but that didn’t work. It wasn’t until 2013 that the merger between the CPC, ACN, ANPP and a faction of APGA formed the APC.
“That coalition produced three million additional votes. But the truth remains that Buhari had 12 million votes intact, always.”
He added that Buhari’s credibility, cult-like following in the North, and persistence played a more significant role in his eventual victory than any single political alliance or endorsement.
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