Buhari's Appointee Explains How Cabal Smuggled Memos to Former President Behind Him
by Ridwan Adeola, https://www.facebook.com/legitngnews · Legit.ng News · Join- Ibrahim Gambari, former chief of staff to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, said some members of the president’s “cabal” bypassed official protocol to get memos directly to him
- Gambari said that despite Buhari’s directive that all official communications be routed through the chief of staff, influential individuals within his inner circle found ways to sidestep the order
- Gambari, a former United Nations special envoy, was Buhari’s chief of staff from May 13, 2020, to May 29, 2023; he was appointed shortly after the death of Abba Kyari, who occupied the role till his passing
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering public affairs and governance.
FCT, Abuja - Former chief of staff (CoS) to the late ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, has revealed how members of the ex-Nigerian leader’s inner circle often bypassed him to send memos to the president secretly.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Friday, July 18, Gambari said that although Buhari had instructed that all memos be routed through him, some appointees exploited the president’s “weak point” to get their messages across informally.
Gambari said:
“They knew his weak moment, they knew when to smuggle (memos) because they knew him as they interacted with him informally."
The diplomat stated:
“When I came as Chief of Staff to the President, he made a statement publicly. He said all memos must go through the Chief of Staff before coming to him.
“Even the Vice President (Yemi Osinbajo), to his credit, always passed his memos through me and several ministers, but our people still got their memos to him from behind because they knew his weak point and who to use and he never stopped them but the advantage I had was that the memos came back to me."
'Nigeria's history of cabals'
Furthermore, the diplomat addressed long-standing reports of a powerful cabal operating in General Buhari’s presidency. According to Gambari, "every government has a cabal."
He said:
“They say there was a cabal, there was. Every government has a cabal. They may call them a kitchen cabinet; they may call them a think tank.
“(Former President Olusegun) Obasanjo had a group of people. The Aboyades of this world and others – a small group of people. It’s the nature of the office of the president that they must have some people in and out of government whom they can let their guard down to and talk to freely.
“Some have more powers than others, but I’m bold to say that every government has a cabal of some kind or another, whatever name it is called. So, there was (a cabal under Buhari).
“I was a minister 1884-1985 but I wasn’t privy to why he was removed by his colleagues; they put him there but one of the reasons I’m told was the military people were resenting the fact that head of state Buhari was now getting a lot of advice and second-guessing the decision of his military colleagues – the Supreme Military Council.”
Gambari hands over to Gbajabiamila
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Gambari handed over to his successor, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The handing over, witnessed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, took place at the presidential villa, Abuja.
Gbajabiamila thanked President Tinubu for the new position and promised to work with him.