Rotimi Amaechi has fired the first public shot in the APC’s 2027 succession battle. The former Transport Minister and APC kingmaker bluntly told Bola Tinubu he did not make Muhammadu Buhari president. Amaechi said Tinubu only started claiming credit after the APC merger while Amaechi himself fought the real electoral battle as a sitting minister under Buhari.
The clash lays bare the simmering factional war inside the ruling party. Amaechi’s statement directly challenges Tinubu’s narrative of being the architect of Buhari’s victory. It also signals that Amaechi will no longer remain silent on succession disputes now that he is out of government. Party insiders say the remark is a calculated move to position Amaechi as a power broker ahead of the next presidential primary.
Legal and political fallout is immediate. Tinubu’s camp has not responded but allies in the National Assembly are already mobilising to counter Amaechi’s influence. The APC National Working Committee faces a fresh crisis of credibility as two of its most powerful figures trade public accusations. Constitutional questions also arise over whether Amaechi’s revelation amounts to electoral malpractice if he indeed orchestrated Buhari’s campaign while serving as a minister.
This dispute will define the APC’s internal power struggle. The party cannot afford a repeat of the 2023 primary chaos. If Amaechi and Tinubu fail to reconcile their factions, the APC risks a split that could hand the 2027 election to the opposition on a platter.
