President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has described the late former President Muhammadu Buhari as a “stubborn” man, recalling moments of sharp disagreement during the early days of the All Progressives Congress (APC) merger in 2013.

 

Speaking at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday while receiving members of The Buhari Organisation (TBO), led by former Nasarawa State Governor Senator Tanko Al-Makura, President Tinubu shared anecdotes from the political negotiations that birthed the APC.

 

“We disagreed to agree. We even argued about a symbol,” Tinubu said to laughter from the audience. “He (Buhari) insisted on parliament, and I insisted on broom. He’s so stubborn.”

 

The President’s remarks offered a rare glimpse into the behind-the-scenes tensions between the key political figures who orchestrated the landmark merger that ended the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) 16-year rule in 2015.

 

The formation of the APC brought together the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). The broom—Tinubu’s preferred symbol—was ultimately adopted, symbolizing unity and sweeping change.

 

Despite the disagreements, Tinubu said compromises were eventually made, leading to the registration of the APC by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2013. That coalition would go on to deliver a decisive victory in 2015, with Buhari elected as President and re-elected in 2019.

 

The meeting came less than two months after Buhari’s death in July 2025 in London, following a prolonged illness. He served two terms as Nigeria’s President before leaving office in 2023.

 

Among those present at the gathering were Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda and former Governor Aminu Masari, both close allies of the late president.

 

Tinubu’s comments were seen as both a tribute to Buhari’s unwavering convictions and a lighthearted reflection on the complex journey that shaped Nigeria’s modern political landscape.