Former chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Umar Ardo, has claimed that the idea behind the formation of the APC ahead of the 2015 presidential election was his and not that of former Rivers State governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.
Ardo made the remarks during an interview on Arise News on Tuesday while reacting to Amaechi’s recent comments about the emergence of late former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.
Amaechi had earlier stated that he played a major role in Buhari’s victory at the polls, insisting that he fought several political battles that paved the way for the former president’s emergence.
But Ardo disagreed with the claim, saying no individual could single-handedly take credit for making someone president in Nigeria’s political system.
According to him, the political movement that later produced the APC started from discussions he initiated with Buhari after the 2011 presidential election defeat.
“The idea of forming the APC for Buhari’s contest in 2015 was mine not Amaechi’s,” Ardo said.
He added, “No single person can claim to have made somebody president; it would need a large number of people and groups, but every idea starts with a single person, and the idea to form the APC was mine.”
Ardo explained that Buhari had initially decided not to contest again after losing the 2011 election. He said he personally met the former president and encouraged him to reconsider his decision ahead of the 2015 race.
According to him, Buhari’s previous electoral failures were linked to his inability to build stronger political support outside Northern Nigeria.
“Before the 2011 general elections, Buhari made a statement that he would not contest again if he lost and he actually lost,” he stated.
“I personally went to him and asked him to contest again. I told him the reason he had not won elections is that he had never gone outside the North to campaign. You need one zone in the South to win election.”
Ardo also spoke about the role played by current President Bola Tinubu in the coalition politics that later birthed the APC.
He claimed that Tinubu’s involvement was critical to Buhari’s eventual victory, particularly in the Southwest region.
“You can get the Southwest only if you get current President Bola Tinubu as Vice Presidential candidate. In 2011, Tinubu wanted to be Vice President but they went and brought Pastor Tunde Bakare.
“With that, Tinubu went ahead and had some consultation with former Goodluck Jonathan and supported him,” he said.
Ardo further disclosed that he advised Buhari to challenge the 2011 election result in court despite the former president’s initial reluctance to head to the tribunal.
“Even though Buhari had said he would not go to the tribunal, I asked him to go so as to keep his political flag flying,” he added.