A spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Alwan Hassan, has said President Bola Tinubu won the 2023 presidential election without the full political backing of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.
Mr Hassan made the assertion during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where the conversation centred on Mr Tinubu’s prospects of securing a second term in the 2027 presidential election.
Questions Over Buhari’s Support Base
Asked whether Mr Tinubu would benefit from the political structure and support base associated with Mr Buhari ahead of the next election, Mr Hassan instead questioned whether the former president had fully deployed his political influence behind the APC candidate in 2023.
“Did he enjoy that in 2023? Did we enjoy Buhari’s support in 2023? Let the truth be told, we did not,” he said.
When pressed on whether he was suggesting that Mr Tinubu won the election on his own, Mr Hassan responded affirmatively, stating that Mr Buhari did not fully come out to support Mr Tinubu.
He accused the former president of failing to campaign actively for the APC candidate, adding that Mr Tinubu secured victory despite what he described as a lack of support from his predecessor.
“Buhari didn’t do well in 2023. He didn’t actually come out to stand for us and stand for Asiwaju in 2023. Asiwaju won that election against all odds,” Mr Hassan stated.
A Contest Won Against the Odds
The remarks revive memories of the period leading up to the APC’s presidential primary election, which Mr Tinubu was widely believed to have won without Mr Buhari’s backing.
At the time, Mr Buhari appeared undecided on whom to support in the crowded race, giving conflicting signals that were sometimes interpreted as a subtle objection to Mr Tinubu’s candidacy and at other times as an indication that he had a secret choice he would unveil at the last moment.
Some of those who participated in the primary election, including former transport minister Rotimi Amaechi, have publicly said Mr Buhari assured them they were his chosen candidate and that he would announce them at the appropriate time.
Mr Tinubu, in what appeared to be frustration over Mr Buhari’s lukewarm attitude towards his presidential aspiration, memorably lashed out during a political event in Abeokuta, Ogun State, where he recounted how he had helped Mr Buhari become president but was not receiving support in return.
Mr Buhari never announced a candidate before the primary election, which Mr Tinubu won. However, the former president accepted Mr Tinubu as soon as he emerged as the APC’s candidate.
Buhari’s Public Endorsements and Vote
In November 2022, Mr Buhari endorsed the Tinubu-Shettima ticket at an APC rally in Jos, Plateau State, and urged party members to support the candidates.
At another campaign rally in Nasarawa State in February 2023, Mr Buhari pledged to continue campaigning for Mr Tinubu, describing him as a committed Nigerian.
On election day, 25 February 2023, Mr Buhari also disclosed that he had voted for the APC candidate after casting his ballot in Daura, Katsina State.
However, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal offered a different account of Mr Buhari’s position during the APC presidential primary. In an interview reported in July, Mr Lawal said Mr Buhari was initially reluctant to support Mr Tinubu’s emergence as the APC presidential candidate but eventually agreed to remain neutral and allow delegates to decide the outcome of the primary.
Mr Tinubu had played a prominent role in Mr Buhari’s emergence as president in 2015, campaigning for him and helping to mobilise support across the country. The two politicians, however, faced tensions over political succession and the APC presidential ticket during the final months of the Buhari administration.
What the Claim Means for 2027
Mr Hassan’s comments come as discussions intensify over the political arithmetic of the next presidential election and whether Mr Tinubu can draw on the support base associated with his predecessor.
By arguing that Mr Tinubu prevailed in 2023 without full backing from the Buhari camp, the APC campaign spokesperson appears to be making the case that the president’s electoral strength rests on his own political organisation rather than on inherited structures.
Whether that argument holds sway with voters and party stakeholders will become clearer as the 2027 election cycle gathers momentum.
