A former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has revealed how a powerful group hijacked power shortly after President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2015 victory, sidelining key contributors to his election.
Dalung made the disclosure during an appearance on the Mic On Podcast released on Sunday, where he explained how cabals in Nigerian governance operate.
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According to him, cabals are “a group of ambitious people who were appointed by the president to help him govern but they will run his presidency at their own expense and interest.”
Recounting his personal experience, Dalung said a powerful group emerged “from nowhere” immediately after Buhari’s victory, blocking access to the president.
“When the president was declared winner, I was with him in his office. That very day, I was blocked from going into his house, and this was the same place where, the previous night, I was there until 2 a.m. I had to make calls before I was eventually allowed access,” he said.
Dalung criticized how the people who worked tirelessly for Buhari’s success went into celebration mode, leaving the president exposed. “These people, who understood power, took over and ran the government to their interest until eight years were gone,” he stated.
On the current administration led by President Bola Tinubu, Dalung hinted that cabal dynamics have evolved within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“It is the same APC we formed, but it is now more sophisticated. The party has become a complex political architecture, more like a zoo,” he remarked.
Addressing claims that Buhari’s government was influenced by Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) stalwarts, Dalung refuted the suggestion. He said key CPC figures like Tanko Al-Makura were largely excluded.
“The CPC did not succeed in having a cabal. Instead, the government was hijacked by people who were not politicians but ‘like bandits who laid an ambush’ immediately after Buhari’s victory,” he said.
Dalung alleged that this group amassed immense wealth and power over the years, describing them as “very powerful and very wealthy.”
Despite his revelations, Dalung maintained he had no fear of retribution, recounting multiple assassination attempts on his life.
“I’ve been into the struggle for 40 years. I’ve survived more than 10 assassination attempts. There was a time five people carrying AK-47s sprayed my car, and I am still alive,” he recounted.
Dalung added, “I am not afraid of death. My mother confirmed to me that I will not leave this planet until the day ordained by God.”
