Tinubu Once Praised Amaechi as “General” in APC’s Common Sense Revolution

In 2015, Bola Tinubu, a key figure in the All Progressives Congress (APC), described former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as a “general” in the party’s non-violent campaign to unseat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during that year’s general elections.

Tinubu made the statement during the launch of Dynamics of Change: The Amaechi Years in Lagos, where he credited Amaechi’s leadership in the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and resistance to the administration of then-President Goodluck Jonathan as instrumental to the APC’s emergence.

The APC, formed in 2013 through the merger of several opposition parties and key defections from the PDP, including Amaechi, campaigned on a platform of accountability and reform. Tinubu said Amaechi’s defiance over issues such as federation account allocations helped mobilize opposition forces and contributed to Muhammadu Buhari’s eventual election victory.

The event was attended by political leaders, governors, and civil society representatives, and also highlighted Amaechi’s infrastructural developments in Rivers State.

As of 2025, the political alliance between Tinubu and Amaechi has fractured. Amaechi has left the APC and joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing dissatisfaction with Tinubu’s leadership. He is now part of a new opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.