'Without Tinubu, Jonathan would’ve won' — Omokri slams Boss Mustapha

Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has strongly rebuffed recent comments made by ex-Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, regarding President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2015 electoral victory, asserting that without Bola Tinubu, Buhari would never have become president.

Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Thursday, July 10, Omokri accused Mustapha of trying to sow discord between Buhari and Tinubu.

He described the former SGF’s suggestion that Buhari did not need Tinubu to win as “silly.”

“Boss Mustapha was just being silly. We have people like that who are trying to cause friction between Buhari and Tinubu,” Omokri said.

He argued that Buhari’s perennial 12 million “captive votes,” mostly drawn from the North since his first attempt in 2003, were never sufficient to secure him the presidency until Tinubu added southern political weight in 2015.

“Buhari had a captive vote of 12 [million] and has always had that since 2003—what did it do for him? He lost in 2003 and 2011.

“He was only able to win when something from the South was added to his captive 12 million votes,” Omokri pointed out.

Omokri emphasised that Nigeria’s political structure is deliberately designed to prevent regional domination and ensure balance, saying, “No tribal Lord can ever become president of Nigeria” without cross-regional support.

According to Omokri, Tinubu’s political alignment with Buhari was the decisive factor that changed Nigeria’s political trajectory in 2015.

“Without Tinubu, Nigeria’s history would not have been the same. Jonathan would have won that election, and Buhari would have remained a tiny dot in a circle,” he added.

The remarks come amidst growing tensions in the ruling party over the role of key figures in Buhari’s rise to power, as narratives are being reshaped ahead of 2027.