by Alexander O. Onukwue

For as long as the Buhari presidency has existed, there has been talk of cabals and shadow show-runners that actually run the Government instead of the persons Nigerians elected.

While a number of names often come up as being associated with the so-called cabal, some particular persons have featured more prominently. In an interview with The Punch, a former federal legislator, Dr Junaid Mohammed, gave what he called a non-exhaustive list of the members of this closed knit group, the “Kaduna mafia” according to him.

He mentions Mamman Daura as “the kingpin and, in actual fact, he wields more power than the President. He knows; the President knows and those of them who are in government also know”. The extent of Mamman Daura’s influence on President Buhari is nearly worthy of its own documentary for the amount of attention that is given to it. He does not hold any official position on the President’s cabinet but is said to wield as much power that it would seem those who go to the polls in 2019 to re-elect Buhari would, in fact, be giving Mamman Daura a second term in office.

Second on Dr Mohammed’s list is Musa Bello, the father to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Muhammed Bello. According to Dr Mohammed, the influence of the elder Bello was instrumental in bringing the younger Bello into the Buhari Government, despite being, for four years, a card-carrying member of the Peoples Democratic Party. It can be construed that for Buhari to have made him Minister despite him being from the opposition attests to the status of Bello senior.

It is inevitable that the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, would be on any list of cabals, as he was on this was by the former federal legislator. What might not have been expected by those who are not insiders would be the inclusion of the younger brother to a former PDP Chairman, Bamanga Tukur. According to Mohamed, “you also have to include one character called Dr. Mahmud Tukur“ but does not give a reason for this.

Stressing that it was not a definitive list, Dr Mohammed did not mince words in stating what he believed was the driving principle of the group: “that they believe they have a divine right to dominate the North, and if they dominate the North, (they believe) they have a divine right to dominate Nigeria.”

So there is a Kaduna mafia and there was a Kaduna declaration; any relationships?

Editor