Gambari reveals how cabal bypassed him to deliver memos to Buhari

Professor Ibrahim Gambari, former Chief of Staff to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has disclosed how close associates within the presidency often bypassed his office to send unofficial memos directly to the president, despite a directive mandating that all communications go through him.

Speaking during an interview on Inside Sources on Channels Television, Gambari said although Buhari clearly instructed that all memos be routed through the Chief of Staff, some officials exploited their informal access to the president.

“They understood his weak spots and knew the right moments to reach him with their memos. They interacted with him informally and used that to their advantage,” Gambari stated.

He noted that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and many ministers adhered to the established protocol, but others deliberately sidestepped it. “The advantage I had was that those memos still came back to me, eventually,” he added.

Gambari, who served as Chief of Staff from May 2020 to May 2023, also addressed longstanding reports about the presence of a powerful cabal within Buhari’s administration.

“There was a cabal, yes. Every government has one, though they might call it different names — a kitchen cabinet, a think tank. Even President Obasanjo had one. It’s normal for a president to have a small trusted group inside and outside of government,” he said.

He also shed light on Buhari’s leadership traits, describing him as a president who was extremely loyal to his aides and hesitant to dismiss them, even under intense pressure.

Gambari previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs during Buhari’s military regime in the 1980s.