Revealed! Inside Buhari’s 2015 Masterstroke That Brought Down PDP – Boss Mustapha Speaks

According to Mustapha, Buhari, in early 2013, formally initiated and supported the formation of a merger committee for the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), laying the groundwork for the historic political alliance that led to the PDP’s downfall.

Speaking during a public lecture in Abuja at the launch of the book “According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesman’s Experience” by Garba Shehu, Mustapha explained that the 2013 merger—which brought together the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), a faction of the PDP (known as the new PDP), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and other political forces—helped secure over 3.2 million votes that powered Buhari’s win.

He emphasized that selecting Buhari as the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate was both a strategic and practical decision. Buhari’s popularity, integrity, and disciplined messaging resonated deeply with Nigerians, making him the ideal figure to lead the coalition.

“In early 2013, President Buhari, then leader of the CPC, formally endorsed the formation of a CPC merger committee. I served as Deputy National Chairman of the ACN at that time, and we also had our own transition committee. The ANPP and the breakaway New PDP group also joined in. Key figures like President Bola Tinubu and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff (then ANPP BoT chairman) gave the merger credibility and momentum,” Mustapha explained.

He noted that this alliance eventually became the APC—a unified force that achieved Nigeria’s first democratic ousting of an incumbent government.

Upon assuming office in May 2015, Mustapha said Buhari inherited severe economic and security challenges, including plummeting oil prices, reduced revenues, and an escalating Boko Haram insurgency. In response, Buhari implemented strict fiscal measures, increased capital expenditure, and introduced reforms to restore public confidence and institutional stability.

According to Mustapha, Buhari’s legacy will be defined not just by his achievements, but by the principles he upheld—especially his commitment to institutional reforms and governance systems designed to outlast his administration.

“Each government inherits unfinished business,” Mustapha said. “Buhari’s leadership wasn’t about finality, but about setting enduring reforms in motion—institutions that could withstand political turbulence and a leadership style that reminded the government of its quiet duties to its citizens.”