 has pushed back against recent comments by Solomon Dalung, a former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, who alleged that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has been overtaken by a powerful inner circle.){kind=link}
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has pushed back against recent comments by Solomon Dalung, a former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, who alleged that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has been overtaken by a powerful inner circle.
Reacting to Dalung’s remarks, APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, dismissed the claims and questioned the former minister’s credibility.
“Who is Dalung, and what legacy did he leave behind as a minister?” Basiru queried. “He clearly lacks the intellectual rigour required to comment meaningfully on governance.”
Dalung, speaking in an interview with The PUNCH, claimed he had long predicted the current state of affairs in Tinubu’s government.
He said he had expressed concerns even before Tinubu’s swearing-in on May 29, 2023.
“I knew things were heading in this direction from the time I met Tinubu as a presidential aspirant,” Dalung said. “Just days before his inauguration, I told some Yoruba elders that a powerful group had already taken control of his administration.”
He claimed his warning was dismissed as personal bias, but he insisted that events have since validated his concerns.
Dalung pointed to the removal of fuel subsidy on inauguration day as an example of the alleged control exerted by unseen forces.
“There was no cabinet yet, only the President and Vice President. But such a critical economic decision was announced. It triggered fuel price hikes, inflation, and rising living costs across the country,” he said.
Dalung likened his experience to that of the biblical figure Jeremiah, claiming he foresaw the hardship but is now witnessing it firsthand.
He acknowledged that similar concerns were raised during the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari but argued that the current power brokers in Tinubu’s administration are far more strategic and influential.
“In Buhari’s time, the cabal lacked experience. But now we’re dealing with a group that is far more calculated, manipulative, and politically savvy,” he said.
In response, Basiru dismissed the entire narrative as unfounded and politically motivated. He argued that the presence of functional democratic institutions, like the National Assembly, undermines the idea of a secret cabal running the government.
“There’s no substance to his claims,” Basiru said. “These are the same tired narratives from people who are yet to recover from their political losses in 2023.”
He added that such critics are often blind to the administration’s efforts and progress, choosing instead to promote negativity.
“The government remains focused on its objectives,” Basiru concluded. “President Tinubu has made it clear—we won’t be distracted by unproductive criticism. If anyone is unhappy, they’ll have their chance at the ballot box.”