Buhari Was Pained By Inability To Do More On Security Before Leaving Office — Gambari

A former Chief of Staff to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, has said the late Nigerian leader was deeply troubled by his inability to resolve the country’s security challenges before leaving office.

Gambari stated this during an appearance on Politics Today, a current affairs programme on Channels Television.

According to him, although Buhari made significant progress in degrading Boko Haram and reclaiming territories once held by insurgents, lingering insecurity in other regions weighed heavily on 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.

“He did a lot by making sure that no territory of Nigeria was under Boko Haram,” Gambari said on Monday.

READ ALSO: Those Who Benefit Most From Nigeria Are Least Committed To Its Stability — Gambari

The ex-chief of staff, however, noted that the persistence of banditry and violent attacks in the North-West and parts of the North-Central regions remained a major concern for the former president.

“The situation in the North-West, in the North-Central, even in banditry, it pained him a lot. 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,” he added.

Gambari also reacted to questions surrounding reports of coup rumours before the end of Buhari’s administration, following claims by the Minister of Defence that such threats existed prior to President Bola Tinubu’s inauguration.

He said he was not aware of any such intelligence reaching Buhari through his office.

“Honestly, I’m not aware of that. 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,” Gambari stated.

He further explained that Buhari, as a former military head of state who later became a democratically elected president, maintained strong ties with the armed forces but “operated within constitutional limits.”

Beyond security, Gambari offered insights into Buhari’s leadership style, describing him as “loyal to individuals who contributed to his personal and political development.”

He also stated that those who benefited most from Nigeria were often the least committed to its progress.

On the issue of power dynamics, Gambari stated that every president has a cabal, noting that the cabal under Buhari knew their limitations.

He also revealed that Buhari did not believe in imposing a successor during the 2023 general election, insisting that the choice of candidate should be left to party members and the electorate.

Buhari served Nigeria from 2015 to 2023 and previously ruled as military head of state between 1983 and 1985.

Buhari’s eight-year tenure (2015–2023) was marked by recurring and evolving insecurity across Nigeria, despite early gains against Boko Haram, including the recovery of territories in the North-East.

However, violence later spread to the North-West and North-Central regions, with banditry and kidnappings becoming widespread.

By the end of his tenure, insecurity remained one of the administration’s most unresolved challenges, but it was not without key feats.

The ex-president died on 13 July 2025 at the age of 82 due to prolonged illness.