How Buhari Shocked Permutations With Gambari

By Emmanuel Aziken

President Muhammadu Buhari went for the jugular of the two contending camps in his inner circle by making his own choice of a Chief of Staff. He has also chosen a man he has related with for about forty years.

Prof. Ibrahim Gambari with his towering credentials in the international diplomatic circuit is also positioned to help smoothen the path for what until now has been an undefined legacy for the president in the international community.

The choice of Gambari was, however, against the aspiration of the major interest groups around the president as led by his powerful cousin, the former journalist and businessman, Alhaji Mamman Daura and the other camp led by the First Lady, Aisha Buhari.

The deceased chief of staff, Mallam Abba Kyari came from the camp of Daura. His stewardship had raised to several open wars with Aisha. She had with a view to projecting her husband’s legacy complained that the administration was not delivering on key goals and milestones.

Sources said that Aisha believed that the position of chief of staff was pivotal to the government delivering and was said to be supportive of some one that would help her husband. Among names mentioned associated with her was the former military governor of Lagos State, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd.)

The Daura camp was also said to be determined to hold on to its leverage by producing a successor. Among those projected by the camp was Babagana Kingibe. One compromise that was said to have been almost acceptable to the two camps was the minister of FCT, Mohammed Bello.

The insinuation was that being from Adamawa State where Aisha comes from that the Daura camp could drawback and push him as Aisha’s choice while bringing him into their fold.

Even more, the minister’s father is chummy-chummy with Buhari and believably with Daura.

Willy-nilly irrespective of the projections, one source speaking on the basis of confidentiality said Buhari decided to go for his trusted ally and former minister who he had known for almost forty years.

“The president has weighed the narratives concerning what happened with Kyari as chief of staff and has decided to take his fate in his own hands and that is why he has chosen someone he can relate with,” the source said.

“They can relate personally having known each other and worked together before,” the source added.

Gambari had despite his international commitments maintained a link with Buhari and alongside Ambassador Dapo Fafowora helped in preparing his foreign policy blueprint ahead of the 2015 presidential election.

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