Former Vice‑President [Yemi Osinbajo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemi_Osinbajo)’s former media aide, Laolu Akande, claimed that a faction within ex‑President [Muhammadu Buhari](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammadu_Buhari)’s administration deliberately worked against [Bola Tinubu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bola_Tinubu)’s political ambitions ahead of the February 2023 general election. Akande made the allegation during a Symfoni TV interview aired on Friday, reflecting on the power dynamics that shaped Buhari’s eight‑year rule.
**What was the alleged cabal’s plan?**
Akande said influential figures inside the government backed former Senate President Ahmad Lawan as Buhari’s preferred successor and tried to secure the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket for him. He asserted that the group wanted Buhari to endorse Lawan as the party’s consensus candidate before the 2022 primary.
> “The cabal had a different plan. They wanted the president [Buhari] to > support Ahmad Lawan. That is the fact,” Akande told the broadcaster.
**When did the controversy surface?**
In June 2022, then‑APC National Chairman Abdullahi Adamu announced Lawan as the party’s consensus presidential candidate, sparking resistance from members who demanded an open primary. The party later held a contested primary in which Tinubu defeated Lawan, Osinbajo, former Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi and several other aspirants to clinch the ticket.
**How was Tinubu allegedly sidelined?**
Akande alleged that throughout Buhari’s tenure (2015‑2023) Tinubu was repeatedly excluded from key meetings despite his instrumental role in forming the APC and delivering its electoral victories. “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.
He recounted personal observations of Tinubu being left out of strategic gatherings, noting that the former Lagos governor remained patient while pursuing his presidential ambition. Akande also linked the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) naira redesign policy, introduced shortly before the 2023 election, to additional hurdles for Tinubu’s campaign.
**Did the Buhari administration block Tinubu’s ministerial picks?**
According to Akande, the government rejected several individuals Tinubu wanted to appoint as ministers, including former Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy Dele Alake and former Finance Minister‑designate Wale Edun. He argued that the refusals were meant to demonstrate that Tinubu, despite his political clout, could not dictate the composition of the federal cabinet.
Overall, Akande’s testimony paints a picture of internal party friction, with a perceived “cabal” attempting to shape the APC’s leadership trajectory and limit Tinubu’s influence until he ultimately secured the party’s nomination.
**What does this mean for Nigerian politics?**
The revelations underscore lingering factionalism within the ruling party and suggest that power struggles during Buhari’s administration may continue to influence policy and governance under the Tinubu presidency.