Garba Shehu, former Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has pushed back strongly against long-standing claims that a powerful cabal controlled Buhari during his time in office.
Speaking candidly on Politics Today, a political program aired on Channels Television Friday night, Shehu described the “cabal” narrative as nothing more than political fiction.
“This thing about cabal is sheer nonsense,” Shehu said plainly. “Buhari is a military general—whether in uniform or out of it. Even as a democrat, he was used to giving orders, not taking them.”
For years, whispers and headlines alike suggested that Buhari was being steered by an inner circle—powerful figures in the shadows often blamed for unpopular decisions and government silence on key issues. But Shehu, who was one of the closest voices to the president throughout his two terms, says that perception couldn’t be further from the truth.
“People always assume someone else is pulling the strings behind the scenes, but I can tell you confidently—there was no one who could tell Buhari what to do,” he said.
Drawing from his personal experience, Shehu explained that although advisers and officials brought suggestions to the president, Buhari made up his own mind.
“You can tell him A, B, C is black. But he will not simply nod and agree. He will listen, weigh it himself, and make his own decision. That’s the kind of leader he was,” Shehu said.
He admitted that while there were people around the president offering advice—as is normal in any administration—the final decision always rested with Buhari.
“The buck stopped on his table,” he emphasized.
For many Nigerians, the cabal theory has long been a talking point, especially in moments when the administration appeared silent, slow, or indifferent. But with Shehu’s public denial, the debate has been reignited: was Buhari truly his own man, or was there more behind the curtain?
Regardless of where public opinion lands, one thing is clear—Garba Shehu is standing firmly by the former president’s image as a decisive, independent-minded leader who, for better or worse, called the shots himself.
