Professor Ibrahim Gambari, who served as the Chief of Staff to the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, has revealed that a group of influential individuals, often referred to as the president’s “cabal,” found ways to secretly present memos to Buhari, bypassing official channels
“They knew his weak moment, they knew when to smuggle (memos) because they knew him as they interacted with him informally,” Gambari said on Channels Television’s Inside Sources programme on Friday.
Professor Ibrahim Gambari, a distinguished diplomat who previously served as a United Nations special envoy, held the position of Chief of Staff to former President Muhammadu Buhari from May 13, 2020, until the end of Buhari’s tenure on May 29, 2023.
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His appointment to this key role followed the passing of his predecessor, Abba Kyari.
“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 minister 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,” the diplomat stated.
Reflecting on his time with the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away on July 13, 2025, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, Buhari’s former Chief of Staff, described him as a compassionate man who gave his all to Nigeria.
Gambari noted that Buhari’s deep affection for his appointees, mirroring his love for Nigerians, explained his reluctance to dismiss cabinet members despite widespread calls for such actions.
Gambari confirmed the existence of a powerful group, often termed a “cabal,” that influenced Buhari’s opinions and decisions on national matters.
However, he maintained that “they knew their limits.” The diplomat also emphasized that it is natural for the office of the president to have a “think tank” or inner circle to aid in governance.
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.”
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