Solomon Dalung, former Minister of Youth and Sports under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has revealed that the former president was “used and dumped” by the political elite.
Speaking as a guest on the Mic On podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye, Dalung shared his perspective on Buhari’s role in the political landscape.
Dalung: Buhari’s charisma exploited for political gain
Dalung, who served in Buhari’s cabinet from November 2015 to May 2019, explained that Buhari’s charismatic appeal was crucial in helping the political elite wrest power from former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, The Sun reported.
However, he claimed that once Buhari assumed office, these same elites hijacked the government.
“Buhari’s charisma was needed at that point in time by the political elite to eliminate Goodluck Jonathan.
“And shortly after Buhari had taken over power, these sets of political elites emerged and hijacked the government,” Dalung said.
Dalung speaks on Buhari made a stranger in his own government
Dalung emphasized that despite Buhari’s high profile, he was sidelined within his own administration.
“Buhari was a stranger in his own government. I can collaborate this because I went to see the president when I was in office,” he said.
Reflecting on his concerns, Dalung mentioned that he once confronted Buhari about the gap between campaign promises and the reality of governance.
“I told him, ‘Mr President, this wasn’t what we told Nigerians. I have conscience,” he said.
Dalung also highlighted the worsening insecurity across Nigeria, especially after 2020.
He noted that despite initial progress in tackling the insurgency in the Northeast, the security situation had deteriorated, making travel between major cities like Abuja and Kaduna unsafe, Vanguard reported.
