According to a report by Daily Post on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, former chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Umar Ardo, has stated that the original idea of creating the party was intended to provide a platform for former President Muhammadu Buhari to contest the 2015 presidential election.
He made the clarification while addressing long-standing claims surrounding the emergence of Buhari as president under the APC.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Tuesday, Ardo responded to comments credited to former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who had suggested that he played a decisive role in securing Buhari’s victory in the 2015 election.
Ardo rejected that narrative, saying it misrepresents how political outcomes are achieved in a complex electoral process.
Ardo further maintained that it is not possible for any single individual to take full credit for making another person president.
According to him, presidential elections involve multiple factors, including broad political alliances, voter decisions, and regional support structures, rather than the effort of one person or a single political actor.
He also referenced Amaechi’s earlier position in which the former minister claimed that he fought several political battles that contributed to Buhari’s success in the 2015 presidential election.
Ardo’s comments were aimed at challenging that assertion and placing emphasis on a more collective understanding of political mobilisation at the time.
Recounting events preceding the 2011 general elections, Ardo explained that Buhari had initially indicated he would not seek another presidential bid if he lost that election, which he eventually did.
He said that despite Buhari’s earlier stance, discussions continued after the election loss regarding the possibility of another attempt in future contests.
Ardo also noted that he personally encouraged Buhari to re-enter the presidential race after the 2011 defeat, arguing that his previous campaigns had not extended sufficiently beyond the northern region.
He suggested that electoral success required broader national outreach, particularly engagement with at least one geopolitical zone in the South to build a winning coalition.
He said, “Before the 2011 general elections, Buhari made a statement that he would not contest again if he lost and he actually lost.
“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…..See More
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