Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, former Chief of Staff to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, has opened up about the behind-the-scenes dynamics of Buhari’s presidency, revealing how close associates of the former president routinely bypassed him to sneak memos directly to the president.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Inside Sources programme on Friday, Gambari disclosed that despite a directive from Buhari that all memos must pass through the Chief of Staff, some individuals within the president’s inner circle — often referred to as “the cabal” — found ways to circumvent protocol.
“They knew his weak moment, they knew when to smuggle (memos) because they knew him as they interacted with him informally,” Gambari explained.
Gambari, who served from May 13, 2020, until May 29, 2023, following the death of Abba Kyari, recounted that even Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and many ministers complied with the official directive, but some insiders still had direct access.
“To his credit, even the Vice President passed his memos through me. But our people still got their memos to him from behind… and he never stopped them,” Gambari said. “The advantage I had was that the memos still came back to me.”
Reflecting on Buhari’s leadership style, Gambari described the late former president — who passed away on July 13, 2025 — as a compassionate man who cared deeply for his appointees and the Nigerian people. This, he said, explained Buhari’s reluctance to sack underperforming cabinet members despite mounting public pressure.
On the controversial issue of the “cabal” in Buhari’s presidency, Gambari acknowledged their existence but argued that every administration has an informal advisory group.
“They say there was a cabal — there was,” he said. “Every government has a cabal of some kind, whether you call them a kitchen cabinet or think tank.”
He compared Buhari’s group to similar informal advisory circles under past presidents like Olusegun Obasanjo, noting that such groups are a natural aspect of executive leadership.
“Some have more powers than others, but I’m bold to say every government has a cabal. So, yes, there was one under Buhari.”
Gambari also shed light on Buhari’s time as Head of State in the 1980s, suggesting that part of the resentment that led to his ouster by fellow military officers in 1985 stemmed from his increasing reliance on civilian advisors.
“I wasn’t privy to why he was removed, but one of the reasons I’m told was that military people resented the fact that Buhari, as Head of State, was getting a lot of advice and second-guessing his military colleagues — the Supreme Military Council.”
