A former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has opened up on the influence of cabals in Nigerian governance, alleging how a powerful group hijacked power after President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory in 2015.
Speaking on the Mic On Podcast published on Sunday, Dalung described a cabal as “a group of ambitious people who were also appointed by the same president to help him govern but they will run his presidency at his at their own expense and interest.”
He revealed that shortly after Buhari’s election, a powerful group emerged from “nowhere,” sidelining those who had campaigned for the president.
Dalung said, “When the president was declared winner, I was with him in his office. I went to see him in the evening. That very day, I was blocked from going into his house, and this was the same place as the last night of the previous day, I was there till 2 a.m.
“I was blocked until I had to make calls before I was allowed to go in till I was able to make calls to assess Buhari before I was allowed. So, from that day, the cabal had taken over.”
Dalung further criticised the situation, stating that the people who truly worked for Buhari “went celebrating” and left the president vulnerable.
“These people, who understood power, took over and ran the government to their interest until eight years were gone,” he said.
When asked about cabals in the current administration of President Bola Tinubu, Dalung suggested the dynamics had shifted within the ruling All Progressives Congress.
“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.
Responding to claims that the Buhari administration was run by a Congress for Progressive Changecabal, Dalung refuted the notion.
He pointed out that CPC stalwarts like Tanko Al-Makura did not feature prominently.
“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
The former minister also alleged that this group had amassed significant wealth and power over the years.
“Of course, they are very, very wealthy, and Nigerians should expect them. They are very powerful,” he added.
Despite his revelations, Dalung expressed no fear of retribution, revealing that he had survived multiple assassination attempts over the years.
“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 said.
He detailed incidents where his life was targeted, including ambushes and attempts to poison his food.
“I am not afraid of death. My mother confirmed to me that I will not leave this planet until the day ordained by God,” Dalung stated.
