Dare dismisses claims of Tinubu sidelining Buhari loyalists

|By Adejumo Adekunle-

-Presidency says cabinet picks based on competence, not political camps
-Adviser insists appointments reflect trust, not exclusion

President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, has debunked claims that the current administration is systematically sidelining politicians loyal to former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Dare made the clarification during a guest appearance on Mic On, a podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye. The discussion centred on internal power dynamics within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the alleged exclusion of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc—widely seen as the Buhari political base.

In a direct question, Okinbaloye asked whether Tinubu had chased out the ‘Buhari boys’ and replaced them with ‘Lagos boys’—his long-time political allies. Dare dismissed the allegation, stressing that appointments are at the president’s discretion and not bound by past political affiliations.

“When a new government comes in—and this is constitutional—the right of the president to build his cabinet, you can’t take it away,” he stated. “The first criterion for you to be appointed is that you are a Nigerian. It’s not whether you are a Tinubu boy or a Buhari boy.”

Okinbaloye, however, pressed further, arguing that key economic positions have been handed to Tinubu loyalists. In response, Dare emphasized the importance of trust in leadership.

“As a leader, you must also bring in lieutenants that you trust,” he explained. “When he was governor, he had people that served him, and over the years, they have been with him throughout the journey.”

Dare insisted there was no coordinated effort to exclude any faction of the APC. “I don’t think there is any deliberate attempt to sideline anyone,” he said.

He concluded by affirming that loyalty to the country must outweigh loyalty to individuals. “Any oath you take when you’re sworn in is not to any president, but to the Nigerian constitution and the Nigerian people,” he added.