Gambari offers a rare insight into the dynamics within Buhari presidency

Former Chief of Staff to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, has offered rare insight into the dynamics within the Buhari presidency, revealing how powerful insiders often sidestepped official channels to reach the president.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Inside Sources on Friday, July 18, 2025, Gambari disclosed that some individuals exploited their close relationship with Buhari to slip memos directly to him, bypassing due process.

“They understood his vulnerabilities. They knew exactly when and how to reach him informally,” Gambari said.

Following the death of Abba Kyari in 2020, Gambari was appointed Chief of Staff and recalled that Buhari had clearly instructed that all correspondence must go through his office.

“Even the Vice President consistently followed that directive and submitted his memos through me,” he explained. “Yet, certain individuals still managed to get their documents to the president through the backdoor, knowing who and when to approach—and he never stopped them.”

Despite these breaches, Gambari noted that he was often able to recover the documents and ensure they went through the proper administrative procedures.

“The good thing was, those memos often found their way back to my desk,” he added.

Addressing long-standing rumors about the existence of a ‘cabal’ around Buhari, Gambari affirmed their presence, saying, “People talk about a cabal—there was one. But every administration has a group like that, whether you call it a kitchen cabinet or a think tank.”

He emphasized that such inner circles are a feature of presidential systems globally, though the degree of influence may vary.

On Buhari’s personality, Gambari described him as a deeply empathetic leader who genuinely cared for his team and for Nigerians as a whole.