THE Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, has responded to recent comments by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, who claimed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not play a pivotal role in Muhammadu Buhari’s rise to the presidency in 2015.
In a post shared on his social media page, Ajayi asserted that Buhari’s long-standing support base of 12 million voters in the North had not been enough to secure a win in previous elections.
He noted that Buhari lost in 2003, 2007, and 2011, despite this consistent backing.
Ajayi credited Tinubu’s influence within the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Buhari’s emergence as the party’s presidential candidate in 2014.
According to him, it was Tinubu’s strategic mobilization of APC governors and South West delegates during the primaries at Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos that secured Buhari the party’s ticket.
“Without Tinubu’s support, Buhari would not have won the APC presidential primary, and therefore, could not have become president in 2015,” Ajayi stated.
He accused Mustapha of misrepresenting political history and diminishing the efforts that contributed to Buhari’s electoral victory.
Ajayi emphasized that the contributions of all individuals and allies who played key roles in the 2015 political breakthrough should be acknowledged and respected.