The former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has made shocking revelations about the inner workings of the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, accusing it of deceiving Nigerians throughout its eight-year tenure.
Dalung, who served in Buhari’s cabinet during the administration’s first term (2015–2019), disclosed this during an interview on the ‘Mic On Podcast’ hosted by renowned TV anchor, Seun Okinbaloye. He admitted that the government misled the public and failed to deliver on its promises.
"I am completely disappointed because what we told Nigerians was not what happened," Dalung confessed. "We lied; we deceived Nigerians. Even though we used ‘people deceive people,’ referring to the PDP, for our campaign, we were a replica of what we accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of."
Exposing Insecurity and Leadership Failures
The former minister detailed how the administration’s promises to address insecurity and improve national welfare fell apart, citing the worsening security situation during Buhari’s tenure. He revealed his personal confrontation with Buhari over the deteriorating state of the country.
“When we came in, it was just the North-East that had security issues. By 2020, it was not even possible to travel from Abuja to Kaduna,” he said. “I told the president, ‘If you don’t believe me, roll out a brigade of guards now, and I’ll join you. We’ll drive from Abuja to Daura. If bandits don’t attack us, I’ll go and die in exile.’”
Dalung further revealed that Buhari expressed surprise at some of the critical issues brought to his attention, indicating that the president was often unaware of key national incidents.
Clashes Between Security Agencies
In a particularly striking account, Dalung recalled an incident where the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) clashed in the Asokoro District of Abuja, disrupting the community for three days. Shockingly, Buhari was unaware of the situation until Dalung raised it during a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
“I expected it to be on the agenda,