Former Chief of Staff to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, has confirmed long-standing speculations about the existence and influence of a powerful cabal within the Aso Rock Presidential Villa during Buhari’s tenure.
Speaking on a television programme yesterday, Gambari, who served from May 2020 to May 2023, disclosed that members of Buhari’s inner circle routinely by-passed official procedures to sneak memos directly to the president, despite a standing directive that all correspondence must pass through the Chief of Staff’s office.
“When I came in, the President clearly stated – publicly – that all memos must go through my office”, Gambari said. “To his credit, even the Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, and several ministers complied. Yet some people still found ways to get their memos to him from behind because they knew his weak moments and who to use – and he never stopped them”.
The seasoned diplomat, who also served as Nigeria’s Foreign Minister in the 1980s and later as UN Under-Secretary-General, said these individuals took advantage of Buhari’s informal moments and long-standing personal ties to by-pass the official chain of command.
“They knew him as they interacted with him informally. The advantage I had was that the memos often came back to me eventually”, he said.
Gambari confirmed that a “cabal” indeed operated in Buhari’s presidency—echoing what had long been whispered in political circles. However, he clarified that such informal power blocs exist in every administration, under different names such as “kitchen cabinet” or “think-tank”.
“They say there was a cabal – there was. Every government has one. Obasanjo had the Aboyades and others. It’s the nature of the Presidency that every leader has a close circle – within and outside government – they listen to and trust”, he said.
However, he emphasised that Buhari’s cabal was unique in how far it could go in overriding institutional processes. “With Buhari, they knew their limits; but they also knew his vulnerabilities”, he stated.
Gambari stopped short of naming any individuals involved but noted that even though Buhari was in charge, he sometimes allowed certain actions to go unchallenged. “There were times when I’d go to him to question a memo or decision, and he would say: ‘Prof., let this go—just to protect me”, he recounted.
Reflecting on Buhari’s broader leadership style, Gambari described the Late former president—who died on July 13, 2025 – as deeply loyal to his appointees and reluctant to sack underperforming officials despite widespread criticism. “He cared for the people around him and was hesitant to let anyone go. It was part of his compassionate nature”, he said.
Gambari also revisited Buhari’s time as military Head of State from 1983 to 1985, suggesting that resentment from fellow officers toward his increasing reliance on civilian advisors may have contributed to the 1985 coup that removed him.
“I wasn’t privy to the reasons, but I was told that part of the resentment came from his military colleagues who felt he was taking too much advice and second-guessing the Supreme Military Council”, he said.
