Dalung to Tinubu: Stop Blaming Past Governments, Buhari Once Flushed Out Chadian Rebels as GOC But Failed to Crush Insurgency as President

Former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung, has weighed in on Nigeria’s persistent insecurity, saying President Bola Ahmed Tinubu cannot continue to blame previous administrations while enjoying the privileges of power.

Speaking in an interview with Trust TV, Dalung said every president inherits both the problems and benefits of office, stressing that leadership demands accountability, not excuses.

> “You cannot enjoy the benefits of power — new cars, aircraft, and renovations — and still shift blame for insecurity to past governments,” he said.

Dalung traced the roots of Nigeria’s security crisis to 2004 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, when a militant group known as the “Nigerian Taliban” overran two local government areas in Yobe State.

He said Obasanjo immediately ordered the then Chief of Army Staff to restore order within 48 hours — and the army swiftly complied.

Dalung also recalled how the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua responded when Boko Haram attacked police stations in Maiduguri. According to him, Yar’Adua, who was on an official trip to Japan, directed the Chief of Defence Staff to crush the uprising before his return, and the instruction was carried out effectively.

The former minister, however, criticised former President Muhammadu Buhari for failing to deal decisively with insurgents despite his military background.

Dalung reminded Nigerians that Buhari, while serving as General Officer Commanding (GOC) in Jos, once led troops across the border to repel Chadian rebels who tried to invade Nigeria.

> “Buhari as a GOC in Jos — I remember as a young prison officer — he went into Chad when the Chadian rebels attempted to enter Nigeria and flushed them out,” Dalung said.

He wondered why the same Buhari who once showed such military courage could not replicate that resolve as president to end insurgency and banditry.

Dalung’s comments come amid growing concerns over worsening insecurity across parts of the country and calls for the Tinubu administration to take bolder steps in addressing it.