‘We Lied To Nigerians,’ Buhari’s Ex-Minister Dalung Reveals

In a stunning revelation, Barrister Solomon Dalung, former Minister of Youth and Sports, admitted that the administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari misled Nigerians during its eight-year tenure.

Dalung, who served as a Federal Executive Council (FEC) member during Buhari’s first term (2015–2019), disclosed this during an interview on the Mic On Podcast with journalist Seun Okinbaloye.

Admission of Deception

Expressing profound disappointment, Dalung accused the administration of betraying the trust of Nigerians.

“I am completely disappointed because what we told Nigerians was not what happened. We lied; we deceived Nigerians. Even though we used ‘people deceive people’ referring to the PDP in our campaign, we were no different from what we accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of being,” he confessed.

Buhari: A “Stranger” in His Own Government

Dalung claimed that Buhari’s role was largely symbolic, alleging that political elites exploited his charisma to win power in 2015.

“Buhari’s charisma was needed at that time by the political elites to eliminate [Goodluck] Jonathan. Shortly after Buhari took over power, this set of political elites hijacked the government. Buhari was a stranger, and I can corroborate this because, in 2020, I went to see the president and told him, ‘Mr. President, this wasn’t what we told Nigerians.’”

Insecurity and Lack of Awareness

Dalung recounted a heated interaction with Buhari in which he pointed out the country’s deteriorating security situation.

“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. 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.’”

According to Dalung, Buhari appeared unaware of many critical incidents under his watch. He narrated how the president only learned about a clash between the DSS and EFCC in Abuja after Dalung raised the issue during a FEC meeting.

“It was me, during an FEC meeting, who informed him about the incident. The president was visibly angry because he was hearing about it for the first time.”

Blame on a Cabal

Dalung attributed the administration’s failings to a cabal around Buhari, particularly the National Security Adviser (NSA) and other key officials.

“For me, Buhari’s hurricane, his integrity, was a political tool needed to eliminate Jonathan and his government,” he said, acknowledging that Buhari’s reputation was leveraged for political gain.

Public Reaction

Dalung’s revelations have sparked widespread debate and criticism, shedding light on the alleged dysfunction within the Buhari administration. Many have questioned the former minister’s decision to remain silent during his time in office and have demanded further transparency from other officials who served under Buhari’s leadership.