Garba Shehu Dismisses Claims of Cabal Influence in Buhari’s Administration

Garba Shehu, former Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has dismissed allegations that a cabal controlled the previous administration, describing the claims as “sheer nonsense.”

Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Shehu insisted that Buhari was fully in charge of his government and was never dictated to by any group or individual.

“The thing about a cabal is sheer nonsense,” Shehu said. “Buhari is a military general, even when he became a democrat. He was used to giving orders, not taking them from anyone.”

He emphasized that Buhari was a leader who made independent decisions and was not easily influenced.

“I have not known one person who can confidently say that if I tell Buhari A, B, C is black, he’ll agree. He had his own mind. People could advise him, yes—but the final decision was always his,” he added.

Throughout Buhari’s tenure, there were persistent claims that a powerful group behind the scenes wielded influence over key government decisions. Shehu’s remarks aim to set the record straight, asserting that Buhari maintained firm control over the affairs of his presidency.