Former Minister of Transportation and African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has said he regrets accepting the advice of former President Muhammadu Buhari not to campaign ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary in 2022.

Amaechi said he would likely have emerged as the party’s presidential candidate if he had ignored Buhari’s instruction and negotiated with party stakeholders, including governors, before the primary election.

He made the disclosure during an interview with Mainland FM, shared on the radio station’s Instagram page on Saturday.

According to the former Rivers State governor, Buhari had assured him that he would be announced as his preferred candidate and instructed him to suspend his campaign activities.

Amaechi said he trusted the former president’s assurance and consequently avoided making political agreements with influential party members who could have helped secure his victory.

“The first mistake that I made at that primary was that I listened to President Buhari. He said to me: ‘Don’t campaign, don’t do anything; I will announce you as my candidate’,” he said.

He added that Buhari gave the assurance in writing, promising to make the document public when he publishes his book.

Amaechi explained that he obeyed Buhari because he considered him his superior and believed that the former president’s endorsement would significantly improve his chances.

He argued that his decision not to negotiate with party stakeholders gave President Bola Tinubu an opportunity to consolidate support through political arrangements.

The ADC chieftain also accused Tinubu of exploiting religious sentiments to secure the backing of northern governors during the APC primary.

Amaechi alleged that a delegation of Yoruba Muslims from the South-West approached governors in the North-West, urging them to support Tinubu on the grounds of religious solidarity.

He claimed the delegation argued that northern Muslims had consistently supported southern Christian candidates during elections and should reciprocate by backing a Muslim presidential aspirant.

“Tinubu played on religion; I won’t play religious politics,” Amaechi said.

He also referred to a viral video in which former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai allegedly spoke about supporting Tinubu on religious grounds.

Tinubu emerged as the APC presidential candidate on June 8, 2022, after polling 1,271 votes to defeat 13 other aspirants.

Amaechi finished second with 316 votes, while former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo came third with 235 votes. Then Senate President Ahmad Lawan secured 152 votes.

Amaechi’s comments come amid renewed claims about Buhari’s private assurances to presidential aspirants ahead of the 2022 APC primary.

Recently, Laolu Akande, former spokesperson to Osinbajo, alleged that Buhari had repeatedly promised to support the former vice-president during the build-up to the contest.

Akande claimed that Buhari personally assured Osinbajo on at least four occasions, telling him: “If I don’t support you, who will I support?”