Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has revealed how a powerful group of individuals, often referred to as “cabals,” hijacked power following Muhammadu Buhari’s election victory in 2015.
Dalung made these claims during an appearance on the Mic On podcast, published on Sunday.
The former minister, who served under Buhari during his first term, painted a vivid picture of how these cabals sidelined those who had campaigned tirelessly for the president’s success.
When asked to define what a cabal means, Dalung described it 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 their own expense and interest.”
He alleged that immediately after Buhari’s election victory, a select group of individuals emerged from the shadows, taking over the reins of power and effectively sidelining those who had worked for the president’s success.
Dalung shared a personal account of how the cabals’ influence became evident to him.
He recalled being with Buhari the day the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared him the winner of the 2015 presidential election.
“That very day, I was with him in his office. I went to see him in the evening, but I was blocked from entering his house,” he revealed.
This was in stark contrast to the previous night when Dalung had free access to Buhari’s residence, staying as late as 2 a.m.
He said, “I had to make several calls before I was finally allowed in.”
From that moment, Dalung claimed, it was clear that the cabal had already taken control of the president.
Dalung criticized those who had campaigned for Buhari, accusing them of abandoning the president after his victory.
“The people who truly worked for Buhari went celebrating and left the president vulnerable,” he said.
He explained that this gave the cabals, who “understood power,” the opportunity to seize control of the government.
“These people took over and ran the government to their interest until eight years were gone,” he lamented.
Reports of cabals controlling Buhari’s government were not new.
Throughout his presidency, various sources, including political insiders and media outlets, referenced the influence of a shadowy group making key decisions behind the scenes.
The term “cabal” became a recurring topic of discussion, often linked to controversies, appointments, and policies.
