How I ‘resigned’ from Buhari’s government – Amaechi

Former Rivers State Governor and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has revealed how he gradually withdrew from the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari after becoming dissatisfied with the government’s direction.

Amaechi said he eventually sought Buhari’s permission to return to university while still serving as Minister of Transportation, an arrangement that saw him report to the ministry only on Wednesdays.

He made the disclosure during an interview on AIT on Wednesday night while reflecting on his experience in the Buhari administration and his political journey ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Questioning Buhari over unmet expectations

Amaechi said he first confronted Buhari privately after becoming concerned that the administration was not living up to the expectations that brought the All Progressives Congress to power in 2015.

He said he reminded Buhari that Nigerians who voted for the APC had expected him to govern like the Buhari of 1983.

“Mr President, you recall that when people were voting for us, they thought they were voting for the Buhari of 1983? Mr President, are we keeping to that expectation?” Amaechi quoted himself as asking.

According to him, Buhari responded that the circumstances were different from those of 1983, noting that he was younger at the time and was leading a military government without a parliament.

Amaechi said he later returned to Buhari and sought permission to attend university.

“The next day, I went back to Mr President and asked, ‘Can I go to the university?’ He said, ‘Yes,’” he said.

He explained that his application stated that he would not be available at the ministry on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

“That’s technically resigning from government. The only day I came to the office was Wednesdays,” Amaechi said.

Amaechi’s role in Buhari’s rise

Amaechi was a prominent figure in the political movement that brought Buhari and the APC to power in 2015.

He served as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly between 1999 and 2007 before becoming governor, a position he held from 2007 to 2015. He also chaired the Nigeria Governors’ Forum between 2011 and 2013.

His relationship with the Peoples Democratic Party deteriorated during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, after which he defected to the APC and joined other governors and opposition politicians in the coalition that formed the party ahead of the 2015 election.

The APC later appointed Amaechi as Director-General of its presidential campaign organisation for the 2015 election.

He coordinated the campaign that defeated the incumbent PDP in the presidential election, marking the first time an opposition party displaced a governing party at the federal level through an election.

Following Buhari’s victory, Amaechi joined his cabinet as Minister of Transportation and remained in the cabinet until May 2022.

From minister to presidential contender

As transportation minister, Amaechi became one of the most prominent members of Buhari’s cabinet, particularly through the administration’s railway development programme.

He eventually resigned from the cabinet in May 2022 after declaring his intention to contest the APC presidential primary for the 2023 election. He finished second behind Bola Tinubu at the party’s primary.

His latest account of his relationship with Buhari comes as he campaigns for the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress.

Amaechi initially contested the ADC presidential primary but finished behind former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. He was subsequently selected as Atiku’s running mate for the 2027 presidential election.

His comments have therefore provided further insight into his account of his experience under Buhari, an administration in which he previously served as a senior cabinet member, as he prepares to campaign against the APC ahead of the 2027 election.