Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, former Chief of Staff to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, offered rare insights into governance during Buhari’s administration while addressing long-standing controversies in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday night.
Reflecting on the often-discussed “cabal” around Buhari, Gambari explained that every president operates with a trusted inner circle.
“You might call them the inner circle or inner caucus. These are people close to them, with shared experiences, who can tell them the truth to their face,” he said. He cautioned, however, that the influence of such groups is frequently overstated.
“Sometimes more powers are ascribed to this cabal than actually is the case. In Buhari’s administration, those referred to as cabal knew their limitations and dared not push beyond them,” Gambari added.
The retired diplomat described Buhari’s leadership style as marked by what he termed “creative stubbornness,” likening it to the approach of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
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He stressed that the former president consistently set clear limits on the influence of aides and close advisors.
Addressing one of the most persistent and bizarre conspiracy theories of Buhari’s tenure—that he had been replaced by a body double known as “Jibril of Sudan”—Gambari dismissed the claims outright.
“I had no doubt at all that he was the Buhari I knew in 1984 and now. That was really quite a silly thing. But the fact that many believed it shows there are people in this country who assume the worst about any president,” he said, noting that Buhari often recounted events from the 1980s to him, which affirmed his authenticity.
Concluding his reflections, Gambari highlighted the critical role of competent and loyal aides in effective governance. “
A president, in many ways, can be only as good as the people who support and back him,” he remarked, underscoring the importance of trust and integrity within the inner workings of leadership.