The former chief of staff to Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Gambari, has revealed that the late president was deeply affected by his inability to completely address Nigeria’s security challenges before the end of his tenure.
Gambari made the remarks on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, noting that while Buhari acknowledged progress made against Boko Haram, lingering insecurity in other regions continued to trouble him.
“One of the things that pained him the most is that he was unable to do more about the security situation in the country before he left,” Gambari said.
“He did a lot by making sure that no territory of Nigeria was under Boko Haram.”
According to Gambari, the persistence of banditry and violent attacks in the north-west and parts of the north-central zones weighed heavily on the former president.
“The situation in the north-west, in the north-central, even in banditry, it pained him a lot,” he said.
“And he felt, ‘I’ve done everything I can for these people’.
“He even said at some point that maybe the base was not good enough.”
Gambari also dismissed claims of coup threats towards the final phase of Buhari’s administration, stating that no such intelligence was ever brought to his notice.
“Honestly, I’m not aware of that,” he said.
“The president had many sources of information. The chief of staff is probably a principal one, but not the only one.
“He could have received information that I was not privy to.”
He added that Buhari, who governed Nigeria both as a military head of state and as a civilian president, maintained a strong relationship with the armed forces but strictly adhered to constitutional boundaries.
Gambari further stated that Buhari remained loyal to individuals who played significant roles in his personal and political journey, while observing that those who benefited most from the country were often the least committed to its stability.
He acknowledged that every administration has a cabal but stressed that Buhari’s inner circle understood its limits.
Additionally, Gambari said Buhari opposed imposing a successor ahead of the 2023 general election, insisting that leadership choices should be left to party members and voters.
Buhari served as Nigeria’s elected president from 2015 to 2023, having earlier ruled as military head of state between 1983 and 1985. He passed away on July 13, 2025, at the age of 82, following a prolonged illness.