Buhari Was Troubled by Insecurity Before Leaving Office – Prof. Gambari

Ibrahim Gambari, former Chief of Staff to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has said the late Nigerian leader was deeply troubled by his inability to fully address insecurity in the country before leaving office.

Gambari made this known on Monday while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

According to him, Buhari took some comfort in the gains recorded against Boko Haram, noting that no part of Nigeria remained under the group’s control. However, he said the former president was still pained by persistent insecurity, particularly banditry and violent attacks in the North-West and parts of the North-Central.

“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 added that Buhari at some point expressed the belief that “maybe the base was not good enough,” despite doing everything within his power.

Gambari also dismissed reports that there were coup threats towards the end of Buhari’s administration, saying no such intelligence was brought to his attention.

“Honestly, I’m not aware of that,” he stated, adding that Buhari had multiple sources of information beyond the Chief of Staff.

He further said Buhari maintained a close relationship with the armed forces, but operated strictly within constitutional limits.

Gambari also noted that while every administration has an inner circle, Buhari’s associates understood their boundaries. He added that those who benefited most from Nigeria were often the least committed to its stability.

On the 2023 general election, Gambari said Buhari did not believe in imposing a successor, insisting that party members and Nigerians should decide leadership choices.

Buhari served as Nigeria’s elected president from 2015 to 2023, after ruling as military head of state between 1983 and 1985. He died on July 13, 2025, at the age of 82 after a prolonged illness.