A group, North-West Youth Movement (NOWYOM) has shed rare insight into the inner workings of a key member of President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet member (name withheld), confirming long-standing speculations about the influence of Yazeed Danfulani a leader of an informal cabal that is operating at the highest level of government with lots of manipulation and highhandedness for selfish purposes.
Speaking during an interview on Friday with newsmen in Abuja, executive director of NOWYOM Ibrahim Adamu disclosed that Yazeed Danfulani consistently bypass official protocols to gain direct access to this particular Minister, blocking everyone else and exploiting what he (Ibrahim) called the “softer sides.” of this distinguished cabinet member.
“Yazeed Danfulani knows this key Minister in Tinubu’s administration softer moments, he knows when to smuggle memos because he knows him as he interacts with him informally. It is also worrisome to realize that Danfulani has blocked all political associates to this minister from seeing him, thereby causing a break between the minister and his political structure in his home state in North-West. I even found it difficult to believe that this crafty individual will go as far as blocking the family members of this Minister from seeing him and will even boldly say all correspondence must be routed through him.
“We know Danfulani used to be a Commissioner of Commerce and Industry when this minister was a State Governor, notwithstanding boundaries must be set, the optics are not looking good at all, people are complaining bitterly as they are consistently asking for a paradigm shift, and a breather for the Honourable minister.
“To make matters worse, he is always seen using military escorts and even giving orders to soldiers without the Minister’s consent. The minister has blocked many of his close allies from having access to him on the advise of Danfulani who many believe he is set out to destroy the minister and ruin his political career and even make him look bad in the eyes of our hardworking and visionary President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.” Ibrahim revealed.
When asked about the controversial “cabal” that dominated public discourse as it relates to this minister, Ibrahim did not deny its existence. Instead, he argued that such informal power structures are a natural feature of governance. But he admitted Danfulani has embarrassingly gone overboard.
“Well people say there is a cabal, of course there is. Every government has a cabal. They may call them a kitchen cabinet or a think tank. It’s the nature of the office of any public servant. Some have more power than others, but every government has a cabal of some kind. But the reality is that in the instance of Danfulani he has done more damage than good and ruined the very essence of operation and administration in government with no modicum of dignity,” he explained.
This candid admission validates years of speculation that certain individuals wielded enormous behind-the-scenes influence.
Ibrahim further described the minister as a compassionate leader who deeply cares for his appointees and Nigerians in general. According to him, this attribute, while admirable, contributed to how the minister is loved by many and how the President truly holds him in high esteem.
NOWYOM executive director then stressed that his group will not rest on his oars and will equally not allow any selfish character to soil the achievements of this Minister in focus who holds a very sensitive and critical position in the current administration.
“This highly revered minister is a compassionate man. He cares about people therefore Nigerians across board should not allow any sycophant or charlatan to soil his good records of achievements as well as his high profile integrity. Here is a man who revitalized Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON). He led the restructuring of DICON as a public-private entity, enabling foreign partnerships and local production of small arms, protective equipment, and drone components. This shift has bolstered the Nigerian Armed Forces’ self-reliance and combat readiness.
“He also contributed very significantly to the neutralization of terrorists and arrest of insurgents. Under his oversight, the military recorded significant gains with thousands of terrorists neutralized, thousands of insurgents arrested, and several thousands of cache of weapons recovered across operations in the northeast and northwest. He equally spearheaded the formation of the Gulf of Guinea Maritime Task Force, aligning Nigeria with regional and African Union objectives. He also ensured early submission of achievement data to the public, promoting transparency and avoiding negative feedback on the successes achieved by the Armed Forces.
“These achievements reflect his commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s defense capabilities and addressing national security challenges. His leadership has been recognized by civil society organizations and the Nigeria Anti-corruption and Integrity Movement, highlighting his transformative impact on the country’s defense architecture.” Ibrahim noted.
Ibrahim’s revelations offer a rare peek into the dynamics of power as it relates to this particular Tinubu’s Minister and highlighted how informal networks, commonly referred to as cabals continue to shape governance in Nigeria especially politicians from Northern extraction.
He however called for the support of all Nigerians to rescue this Minister from the claws and bandage of demonic powers, adding that he (Ibrahim) is convinced that Danfulani is dealing with the Minister through feltish and diabolic influences. Meanwhile he also acknowledged that Danfulani cannot be bigger than God and that his time is up in the best interest of Nigerians.
Meanwhile, efforts to get Danfulani’s reactions proved abortive as calls and text messages sent to his phone numbers were not dignified with any response.