Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, has sparked fresh political debate by challenging claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu played a pivotal role in the emergence of Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria’s president in 2015.

 

Speaking on Tuesday as the keynote speaker at the launch of According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesman’s Experience, authored by former presidential spokesman Garba Shehu, Mustapha said it was Buhari’s personal credibility and longstanding popularity in northern Nigeria — not the merger orchestrated by Tinubu and others — that secured the 2015 victory for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

 

“For the record, the merger in 2013 brought only about three million votes, which added to Buhari’s consistent 12 million vote base,” Mustapha stated. “It is Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and disciplined messaging that were central to the 2015 breakthrough — not the merger alone.”

 

He cited historical voting patterns, recalling that Buhari secured 12.7 million votes in 2003, 6.6 million in 2007, and 12.2 million in 2011 before the 2015 merger. According to him, this showed a consistent support base that long preceded the formation of the APC.

 

“In 2015, after the merger, the APC polled 15.4 million votes nationwide. Buhari already had 12.5 million from his previous runs. That means the merger brought in about three million additional votes,” Mustapha said, describing the contribution of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and other parties as statistically insignificant.

 

Despite this, he acknowledged the importance of Buhari’s early commitment to a merger and coalition-building efforts involving the CPC, ACN, ANPP, a faction of APGA, and the breakaway “new PDP.”

 

“President Buhari’s endorsement and participation in the merger gave it credibility. Alongside other figures like Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, Buhari helped unify diverse party interests under the APC banner — a coalition that led to the historic defeat of an incumbent party,” Mustapha said.

 

The book launch, held in Abuja, drew a high-powered audience including former Head of State Yakubu Gowon (chairman of the event), former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, SGF George Akume (representing President Tinubu), and former officials such as Ibrahim Gambari, Babagana Kingibe, Nasir El-Rufai, Kayode Fayemi, Chris Ngige, Rauf Aregbesola, Babatunde Fashola, and former Army Chief Tukur Buratai.

 

Addressing the gathering through his representative, President Tinubu paid glowing tribute to Buhari’s legacy, promising to sustain and improve upon it.

 

“Nation-building is a relay. The efforts of one administration lay the foundation for the next,” Tinubu said. “In this regard, I acknowledge the efforts of my predecessor, President Buhari, and assure all Nigerians that the reform-oriented path he initiated will be consolidated and strengthened under this administration.”

 

He emphasized that his Renewed Hope Agenda is aimed at building a resilient, inclusive, and just Nigeria that delivers on the dividends of democracy.

 

“No account of President Buhari’s tenure would be complete without acknowledging the extended periods he spent on medical leave,” Tinubu noted. “These moments, while politically delicate, were also telling of his leadership philosophy and personality.”