The National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Peter Ameh, has raised concerns over President Bola Tinubu’s true intentions during the funeral of former President Muhammadu Buhari, as reported by Punch on Sunday, 20 July, 2025.
Ameh said many Nigerians doubt the sincerity of Tinubu’s mourning.
He argued that the two leaders had a troubled relationship, and that was clear even before Buhari passed away.
According to him, President Tinubu was not even aware of Buhari’s critical health condition before his death.
Ameh also pointed to a social media post by Tinubu’s Special Adviser, Bayo Onanuga, as evidence of the tension between both camps.
Onanuga had responded to claims that Tinubu contributed only three million votes to Buhari’s past victory an action Ameh described as insensitive, especially since Buhari had not yet been buried.
Ameh said Buhari’s supporters were hurt by how Tinubu’s government had constantly blamed the former leader for Nigeria’s economic challenges.
He said these public attacks showed that there was no real friendship or loyalty between the two men.
He further stated that what should have been a solemn farewell had become a political display, with attention now shifting to who will take over Buhari’s northern support base ahead of the 2027 elections.
Ameh urged President Tinubu to show more compassion, not just during ceremonies but in his day-to-day leadership.
He said Nigerians want a leader who feels their pain and connects with people across all social classes.
“There are certain actions the President has taken that raise doubts about his sincerity. He wasn’t even aware of how critically ill Buhari was. The sour relationship was evident, especially when the President’s Special Adviser, Bayo Onanuga, made a post on X (formerly Twitter) to debunk claims that Tinubu only contributed three million votes to Buhari and this was while the former President’s body hadn’t yet been buried. Tension existed on both sides. Buhari’s camp felt humiliated by Tinubu’s administration,” he said.
