It is the nature of the office of president that they must have some people they can lay their hair down, talk to freely.
Ibrahim Gambari, former Chief of Staff to late President Muhammadu Buhari, has stated that no administration is immune from an inner circle or “cabal,” including Buhari’s tenure. In an excerpt from an upcoming interview with Laolu Akande, Gambari said, “They say there’s a cabal, there was, but every government has cabal. It is what they call them.”
Expanding on the point, he likened such groups to “kitchen cabinets” or “think tanks,” referencing President Obasanjo’s own advisory cohorts. He explained the significance of these circles: “It is the nature of the office of president that they must have some people in and out of government that they can lay their hair down, talk to freely.”
Stakeholders have criticised unelected influences in governance, and Gambari noted that these groups often hold sway over key decisions, appointments and policy directions. He also referenced past controversies, including former First Lady Aisha Buhari’s 2018 warning and Solomon Dalung’s recent comparison of President Bola Tinubu’s circle.