During the nation's Second Republic, he played prominent roles as transport minister and head of the presidential task force on rice.

The new military regime accused him of large-scale corruption while in office, in particular of embezzling millions of dollars from the nation's oil revenues.

[5] On 5 July 1984, he played the central role in the Dikko affair as he was found drugged in a crate at Stansted Airport that was being claimed[6] as diplomatic baggage, an apparent victim of a government–sanctioned kidnapping.

[7][full citation needed] Police were permitted to search the crate as the Nigerians had neglected to mark it as diplomatic baggage or complete the necessary paperwork.

In the Fourth Republic he formed the United Democratic Party (UDP), he was appointed to head the National Disciplinary Committee of the PDP in 2013.