A powerful cabal within the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari allegedly worked to frustrate President Bola Tinubu’s political ambitions, rejected some of his preferred ministerial nominees and attempted to impose former Senate President Ahmad Lawan as the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate in 2022, a former aide to ex-Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Laolu Akande, has alleged.
Akande, a journalist and host of *Inside Sources*, said Tinubu endured years of political marginalisation under Buhari despite his contributions to the formation and electoral victories of the APC, alleging that powerful interests within the administration repeatedly sought to undermine the former Lagos governor.
In an interview with Symfoni TV published on Friday, Akande recounted the political intrigues that characterised the Buhari administration between 2015 and 2023, describing the 2022 APC presidential primary as a major battleground in the struggle over who would succeed Buhari.
According to him, the cabal had its own preferred candidate and was determined to secure Buhari’s backing for Lawan, regardless of the political calculations of other contenders.
“The cabal had a different plan. They wanted the president [Buhari] to support Ahmad Lawan. That is the fact,” Akande said.
The allegation throws fresh light on the fierce succession battle within the ruling party ahead of the 2023 presidential election, when Tinubu, Osinbajo, Lawan and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, were among the leading contenders for the APC ticket.
In June 2022, then APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, announced Lawan as the party’s consensus presidential candidate, a move that triggered opposition from party stakeholders who insisted that the presidential primary must proceed.
The party eventually conducted the primary, in which Tinubu defeated his rivals, including Osinbajo, Amaechi and Lawan, to emerge as the APC’s flag bearer.
Akande suggested that the alleged manoeuvres against Tinubu during the succession struggle were part of a broader pattern of political exclusion that persisted throughout Buhari’s eight-year presidency.
“What did they not do against President Tinubu? Tell me. Between 2015 and 2023? The man was marginalised. I saw it with my own eyes,” he said.
The former presidential spokesperson said he personally witnessed instances in which Tinubu was sidelined during meetings, portraying the experience as evidence of the strained political relationship between the former Lagos governor and influential figures within the Buhari administration.
Despite the alleged hostility, Akande said Tinubu remained politically patient and continued to position himself for the presidency until the opportunity to contest for the party’s ticket emerged.
‘They Rejected His Ministerial Nominees’
In one of the most striking claims from the interview, Akande alleged that the Buhari administration’s cabal rejected ministerial nominees proposed by Tinubu, including Wale Edun and Dele Alake, in what he suggested was an attempt to demonstrate that the former Lagos governor could not dictate political appointments.
Edun, who later became Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy under Tinubu, and Alake, who became Minister of Solid Minerals Development, were among the prominent figures Akande identified as having faced opposition over their proposed appointments during the Buhari era.
The allegation points to the depth of the political contest over influence and appointments within the ruling party before Tinubu eventually succeeded Buhari as president.
Akande also linked the political tensions to the controversial naira redesign policy introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria shortly before the 2023 general election, saying the policy threatened Tinubu’s presidential ambition.
He argued that Tinubu demonstrated organisation and decisiveness in confronting the political challenges surrounding his campaign, even as the currency crisis intensified the pressure on the ruling party ahead of the election.
The naira redesign controversy became a major flashpoint in the final weeks before the February 2023 presidential poll, with cash shortages generating widespread hardship and political tension.
Tinubu ultimately won the election and succeeded Buhari, bringing to an end the eight-year APC administration under his predecessor.
Akande’s account presents the 2022 presidential primary as more than a contest among aspirants, suggesting it was also a struggle between Tinubu’s presidential ambition and powerful interests within the government he was seeking to succeed.
The allegations, however, remain Akande’s account of events. The claims of a coordinated cabal, the alleged rejection of Tinubu’s ministerial nominees and the motives behind the reported political manoeuvres were not independently established in the interview details provided.
