Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung was a guest on Channels Television’s popular political programme, ‘Politics Today’ on Tuesday, where he alleged that the cabal surrounding President Bola Tinubu is more powerful and dangerous than the ones that existed during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Lalung said these power mongers in Tinubu’s government are highly educated, ambitious, and refined individuals that understand the dynamics of power.
According to him, this makes them more adept at manipulating governance and isolating the president.
“They are educated and have a sound knowledge of what power is,” he said. “Their capacity to manipulate power, stifle information, and control access to the president makes them more dangerous than any cabal in the history of this country.”
Dalung said Buhari’s cabal, are less sophisticated and made up of individuals with limited political and administrative experience. He argued that while Buhari’s cabal had parochial motives, their lack of strategic depth mitigated their overall influence.
“Former President Muhammadu Buhari’s government had a cabal.
“They were people who were not quite informed, who had little experience in politics, public administration, and governance. Their activities were limited to their narrow understanding of power relations and self-interest.”
The former minister criticised the denial of cabals’ existence in Nigerian governance, saying it would be unjust to future generations. “It would be very, very unfair to posterity to deny the existence of such a dangerous political element that takes over power and pursues ulterior motives using the popular manifesto that was used to gain power.”
Assessing Tinubu’s administration, Dalung cited Chapter 2 of the Nigerian Constitution, which states that the primary aim of government is to ensure the well-being of its citizens. He questioned whether the current government was living up to this mandate.
“Are Nigerians rejoicing over the policies of this government? Certainly not,” he said. “The common people are frustrated and not speaking well of the government or the country itself.”
Dalung concluded that the influence of Tinubu’s cabal could hinder effective governance, isolate the president, and make it difficult for ordinary Nigerians to enjoy the system.
