Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) in the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, Mr Boss Mustapha, on Wednesday subtly dismissed insinuations that the contributions of any particular leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC-led to the emergence of Buhari as president in 2015.
Speaking at the unveiling of the book, ‘According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesperson’s Experience’, witten by Garba Shehu, the former SGF who said he did not want to stir any controversy, said Buhari already had over 12 million existing votes and that the merger of the legacy parties brought in three million votes.
At the event, President Bola Tinubu, who was represented, said Nigeria must never get tired of documenting its journey, but must learn from its past with honesty.
Noting that nation-building is a relay, President Tinubu promised to consolidate on the reform-oriented path of his predecessor.
‘As a nation, we must never get tired of documenting our journey. If we must move forward purposefully, we must learn from the past with honesty. Books like this play a vital role in that learning process. They preserve memory, illuminate truth and sharpen our collective understanding of nationhood.
‘Nation-building is a relay. The efforts of one administration lay the foundation for the next. 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. Our Renewed Hope Agenda is inspired by the desire to build a resilient, just and inclusive Nigeria – a nation that delivers dividends of democracy to all its citizens’, the president said.
President Tinubu had during a June 2022 visit to Ogun State to canvass for the support of party stakeholders ahead of the APC’s special presidential convention, spoke of his unparalleled contributions to making Buhari president.
At the event where President Tinubu famously declared that it was his turn to administer the country, he had unequivocally declared that he made Muhammadu Buhari president, nominated Professor Yemi Osinbajo as his running mate and got Mr Dapo Abiodun elected as Governor of Ogun State.
Explaining that he was making the revelations for the first time because there was a need for him to talk, President Tinubu had said; ‘If not for me talking to you today, Buhari would not have been president. It has been over 25 years since I have been serving them. The one sitting behind me, Dapo Abiodun, could not have become the governor without me.
‘Since the time we started with the Action Congress AC, Action Congress of Nigeria ACN and now, the All Progressives Congress (APC), I have wanted to contest for president since those times.
‘This is me telling you, between my life and God Almighty, Buhari called me to be his vice president. He said because the first time he contested, he picked Okadigbo, flamboyant, Catholic, but Nigerians didn’t vote for him.
‘The second time, he picked another Igbo, Ume Ezeoke, Nigerians didn’t vote for him; that if he goes to bring the Pope to run as his vice, Nigerians won’t vote for him, but you, Bola Tinubu, you have six governors, you have never lost an election before, come and be my vice.
‘He knew all the calculations then favoured us, that was why he wanted me as his vice, but I told him to let us build the party first. And when we finished building the party, after we brought in people from the PDP, Saraki now saw that those from the PDP will not get anything if Buhari, a Muslim, becomes the president and me, also a Muslim, becomes his vice, he won’t get the senate president and the senate president cannot also be a Muslim, that was how they started the campaign of calumny against me.
‘And I told them that I have a candidate who is a Christian that I can nominate so that the party will not break, that was how I nominated Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. I surrendered my right to him (Osinbajo).
‘I was asked to submit three names: Yemi Cardoso, Wale Edun, and Yemi Osinbajo, but I said that if I submitted three names, it is like opening your door for a thief. They may add the fourth name and choose that one. So, I insisted on only one name. You are hearing this thing from me for the first time.
‘It is my time. I am educated, I am experienced. I have been serving you for a long time. Bring me the presidency, it is my turn. When Atiku was being flogged out of the PDP by Obasanjo, he ran to me for help, I got the ticket for him. Nuhu Ribadu came to me and I backed him.
‘It has been over 25 years now that I have been serving them.
This one sitting behind me, Dapo, can he say he can be the governor without me? We were together at the MKO Abiola Stadium, he was intimidated, they didn’t want to give him the party’s flag. I was the one who handed the flag to him. He knows that he cannot be the governor without the help of God and my support.
‘If not for me who stood behind Buhari, he wouldn’t have become the president. He tried the first time, he failed, the second time, he failed, the third time, he failed. He even wept on national television and vowed never to contest again but I went to meet him in Kaduna and told him he will run again; I will stand by you and you will win, but you must not joke with Yorubas and he agreed.
‘Since he became the president, I have never got ministerial slots, I didn’t collect any contract, I have never begged for anything from him, it is the turn of Yoruba; it is my turn. Please, stand by me, you delegates who are here from Ogun State, you shall not become delicates. Don’t be carried away by “he is our son”‘.
Merger didn’t make Buhari
However, delivering a lecture on ‘President Buhari’s Contribution to National Development’, the former SGF recalled how in early 2013, as the leader of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Buhari had formally requested and supported the creation of a CPC merger committee, part of a broader coalition-building process which brought together the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) faction, and elements of the ruling party through the breakaway ‘new PDP’ group.
‘We also had our own transition Merger Committee, the ANPP, and a fraction of others. And elements of the ruling party, through the breakaway New PDP group, his endorsement and participation, along with other party leaders such as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, who was the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the ANPP lent credence, credibility, and direction to the merger, helping to unify disparate party factions under the banner of the All Progressives Congress APC. That coalition-building paved the way for the first democratic defeat of an incumbent ruling party in Nigeria’s history. President Buhari’s integrity, national stature and disciplined messaging were central to that breakthrough’, said Mustapha.
The former SGF who said he did not intend to stoke any controversy , added that Buhari brought 12.5 million votes to the table while the merging parties, all together, gave him 3.5 million votes.
He said; ‘Not only that, for us in the ACN, I do not intend to stir any controversy, but I will make bold to state this—that the merger in 2013 was midwife to present a Buhari or create a Buhari Presidency because we looked at the statistics of the votes that were coming to the table. In the 2003 election, it was the Obasanjo/Buhari presidential contest where Buhari recorded 2.7 million votes. In the next election, he got 12.7 million votes. In 2007, it came to 6.6 million, it went back to 12.2 million in 2011.
‘When we were conceptualizing the merger, what would give us a headstart and obviously, it was at the back of our consciousness that the merger with the CPC, though it had only one state, the ACN had six states, ANPP three states, and when you sum up the total votes that gave us the presidency in 2015, the aggregate of the total votes was 15.4 million. So, basically, what we brought to the table after the merger outside the Buhari 12.5 million votes was three million’.
Chairman of the occasion and former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (retd) noted that Buhari did his best to resolve Nigeria’s complex challenges, and urged Nigerians not to allow insurgents threaten the country’s indivisibility.
‘During his eight-year Presidency, Buhari tried his best to contend with the overwhelming problems, one of such is the security situation in Nigeria. The Officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the other security Agencies must be commended for their efforts and sacrifices. Just this past Sunday, I was at Kaduna for the 162nd Army Day Celebration where the Chief of Army Staff, on behalf of the Armed Forces, reaffirmed their commitment to fight and defend the sovereignty of our nation.
‘As Nigerians, we must wholeheartedly support the Armed Forces as they risk their lives to keep us alive. We must not allow insurgency or insecurity to threaten the corporate existence of our nation.
‘I know General Buhari to be a staunch believer of the Nigerian project. I know him as a person not inclined to worldly or materialistic overtures. No matter the misconceptions about General Buhari, you cannot take away the fact that he has the firm interest of Nigeria at heart. I also know that he will do everything to keep his integrity intact.
‘If the truth must be told, Gen. Buhari is a man of austere lifestyle. I was therefore not surprised when the author (at page 114) of the book narrated an incident that rightly depicted the General Buhari that I know. According to Garba Shehu, shortly after being sworn in as President and Commander in Chief, General Buhari was informed of the need to increase the budget for catering services in the Villa. He then asked what the existing budget was. When they told him it was N10 million for the State House including the Vice President, Guest houses and banquets in honour of visiting leaders, he screamed and asked that even the N10 million be drastically reduced’, he added.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume who represented President Bola Tinubu, described the event as a significant national moment to reflect on the leadership journey of his predecessor ‘and one of Nigeria’s most consequential leaders, former President Muhammadu Buhari, whose time in office shaped the direction of our country in profound ways’.
According to him, the author has put forward a chronicle that provides context and clarity to the policy directions, governing principles and leadership philosophy of a man whose disciplined and unwavering sense of duty left a significant imprint on the nation’s governance architecture.
‘Former President Muhammadu Buhari is a man whose leadership stood on the pillars of integrity, accountability, prudence as well as patriotism. Under his stewardship, Nigeria witnessed a decisive push to confront insecurity, a serious commitment to infrastructure renewal, a renewed focus on self-reliance and a clear effort to sanitize the public sector. These themes resonate strongly in this book and must be appreciated in their full historic dimensions.
‘From the restoration of fiscal discipline to the diversification of the economy, from the development of critical national infrastructure to the transformation of our rail and road networks, and from the expansion of social investment programmes to the repositioning of the agricultural sector, President Buhari’s era reflected an earnest attempt to reposition Nigeria for future resilience.
‘In foreign policy, he was deliberate and consistent. Nigeria’s voice remained steady and respected within the African Union and the international community. Our engagements with global partners were guided by a principled foreign policy doctrine that upheld national interest, regional stability and non-alignment.
‘At this juncture, it is also worth commending President Buhari’s humility and restraint in the exercise of Presidential power – hallmarks of democratic maturity. In the face of provocation, he remained calm. In moments of uncertainty, he held steady. His was a Presidency of discipline and quiet strength’, he added.
Author of the book, Garba Shehu noted that Buhari suffered ‘the perception challenge’ and ‘the tyranny of high expectations’.
He said journalists possess enormous powers in he sense that they determine which stories to use or discard, urging them to utilise it responsibly.
Dignitaries at the event included former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, several ministers and appointees of Buhari administration and others.
