Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu and Mallam Mamman Daura were the only people privy to the emergence of the new Chief of staff.

The power play that produced Ibrahim Gambari as the new chief of staff to President Buhari after the demise of Mallam Abba Kyari, who died on 17th April, at the age of 67 from complications caused by the Coronavirus started like a baby conceived by a pregnant woman waiting to be delivered.
Hardly had he been lowered to his grave when his political contemporaries started scheming for his position.
Many names were brandished in the media on the likely successor to the Late chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, who was a versatile lawyer, successful banker, accomplished journalist and brilliant administrator.
Among the top politicians who wanted Mallam Kyari’s job as reported were Alh. Babagana Kingibe, a former diplomat and a presidential running mate to the late Chief MKO Abiola of defunct Social Democratic party, SDP; Alhaji Issa Funtua, a successful businessman and confidant of President Buhari; Alh Adamu Adamu the current Minister of Education.

Others are Dr Mohammed Moddibo, a former FCT Minister; Mallam Nasir El-rufai, the Executive governor of Kaduna State and Rtd General Buba Marwa, former Lagos Stare governor, to mention but a few.

Unknown to many Nigerians, many of the aforementioned names actually lobbied for the position.

The lobbying became intense when the Federal Executive Council, made up of mostly cabinet ministers, were angling for one amongst them to emerge as the next chief of staff to President Buhari.

Investigations carried out by The Street Journal revealed that the ministers based their argument on the need to achieve “better synergy”.

The ministers were of the opinion that a chief of staff to the president from their fold will be “able to fast-track decision making on issues”.

The report quoted a top source as saying, “… their argument is that it will enhance synergy between the president and his cabinet since the ministers now report to the chief of staff…”

Findings from this report suggests that the ministers were not altogether satisfied with the way things went under the late chief of staff.

This further raises scepticism over the performance of the late Abba Kyari on whom many Nigerians have written several testimonials – both good and bad – since his death a fortnight ago.

Surprisingly, President Buhari did not give room for discussion of such at the time as he was mourning his best friend and confidant whom he described as “the very best of us”.

On Friday last week, according to our investigation, a call came in from a powerful member of President Buhari’s confidants about a rumour making rounds in the city of Abuja that a sharp practice was going on in the villa amongst the top aides of the president and a big vacuum had been left behind by the demise of Abba Kyari.

The caller reportedly happened to be the head of the people labelled by the first lady, Hajia Aisha Buhari as “Cabal who hijacked her husband’s government.”

An impeccable source who pleaded anonymity, told The Street Journal that the caller booked an appointment to see President Buhari in order to brief him about the latest development.

As soon as the meeting between him and the President started, he went straight to the point by telling Mr President that it was urgent for him to appoint a new Chief of staff.

President Buhari was quoted as telling his visitor that he was aware of everything going on around his government and he has concluded to hire a new successor to replace his late chief of staff, but will like to consult one of his friends, the National leader of his party, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

According to our source, the choice of Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari was suggested to Mr President by the duo: Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Mallam Mamam Daura.

None of President Buhari’s aides was privy to this discussion except one who is commonly regarded as Mr Secret keeper in the Villa, for his ability in keeping secrets of whatever information passes through his table.

On Tuesday morning, a message was sent to Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari to see Asiwaju Bola Ahmed in Lagos where he was briefed on his new role and was told to report in Abuja by 2pm on Tuesday.

A visibly shaken Professor Gambari was lost for words for a few minutes, but later gathered himself together and promised to serve Mr President from the wealth of his experience.

Unknown to President Buhari’s aides in the villa, when The Street Journal exclusively broke the news of the appointment of Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari as the new Chief of Staff to Mr President on Tuesday, May 12 at about 11:00am, many of them were in a state of denial. They had no knowledge of it at all.



Who is the new chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari?

The appointment of Ibrahim Agboola Gambari shows that the REWARD for integrity and loyalty is everlasting.

Being the product of an old establishment, Professor Ibrahim Gambari can be adjudged as the most experienced diplomat in Nigeria.

An indigene of Kwara state Nigeria, Gambari bagged his first degree from the London School of Economics, specialising in International Relations.

He obtained his Masters and Doctoral degree in Political Science/International Relations from Columbia University, New York, USA

Gambari, CFR, OCORT, a scholar-diplomat, is the Founder/Chairman of the Board of Directors of Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, a non-governmental think-tank on research, policy studies, advocacy and training on the nexus between conflict prevention and resolution, democratisation and development in Africa.

He has had an illustrious career, spanning academia, government and international diplomacy, culminating with his appointment as the first United Nations Under-Secretary General and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General in Africa (1999-2005).

He was the Chairman of the United Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid (1990-1994) and on Peace-Keeping Operations (1990—1999).

Also, he was Head of the United Nations Department of Political Affairs (2005-2007) and also operated as UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Cyprus, Zimbabwe and Myanmar and Special Representative in Angola.

He has taught at universities in the United States, Nigeria and Singapore and has to his credit, the authorship of a number of books.

He has received several academic and national honours, including the “Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria” (CFR), and the “Order of the Champion of the Oliver R. Tambo” (OCORT) of South Africa.

He is the Pioneer Chancellor of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Ilorin, Nigeria, as well as the current Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Bayero University, Kano (BUK).

He is married with children and grandchildren.

Breaking News - May 14, 2020
Copyright © 2019 TheStreetJournal

Lagos-Ibadan express news again....trying to bring Thievnubu to relevance...yeye dey smell

Failed blogger

Which game? To choose your own Chief of staff? Why are you people mad?

Buhari is full of surprise

positivelord:
Lagos-Ibadan express news again....trying to bring Thievnubu to relevance...yeye dey smell

Two people were mention. Tinubu and Daura but you singled out Tinubu to insult just because of your hatred for him and the entire yoruba race. Let it be know to you that hatred can never take you far in life. Tinubu we know but who are you or a least someone in your lineage that we can recon with. Tinubu doesn't know you and will never know you so why hating on someone you can never come close to in your life.

positivelord:
Lagos-Ibadan express news again....trying to bring Thievnubu to relevance...yeye dey smell

Tinubu was not the one that is responsible for your father and tribe misfortune

I knew Tinubu was consulted when a phantom group from Lagos asked Buhari to choose Tinubu as COS. It's a deliberate attempt to exclude Tinubu as being instrumental to Gambari's emergence. That way, you won't see Tinubu as a cabal member.

PMB will continue thrashing wailers and their minions.

Na express we dey go for Nigeria, because it will be dey same thing

Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari is too overqualified for the role.He has made history has the most educated and most experienced Chief of staff to the president.I wish him all the best in his new role.
#ProudKwaran

Tinubu my left nyash, keep consoling yourself with lies to bring Tinubu out of the dustbin of history.

IF ANYBODY THINKS BUHARI WILL CONSULT TINUBU BEFORE CHOSING HIS CHIEF OF STAFF THEN THAT PERSON BRAIN IS MADE OF TISSUE PAPER.

positivelord:
Lagos-Ibadan express news again....trying to bring Thievnubu to relevance...yeye dey smell

Crying like your father and grandfather did before him wouldnt:

1. Reduce your poverty 2. Reduce Tinubu's/ Yoruba's wealth.


Why do you want to continue doing something unproductive? Do you want your kids too to hawk gala?

GreenDestiny2:
I knew Tinubu was consulted when a phantom group from Lagos asked Buhari to choose Tinubu as COS. It's a deliberate to exclude Tinubu as being instrumental to Gambari's emergence. That way, you won't see Tinubu as a cabal member.

Shaprapra

I stopped reading when I saw El Rufai.

tommyken:
Tinubu my left nyash, keep consoling yourself with lies to bring Tinubu out of the dustbin of history.

IF ANYBODY THINKS BUHARI WILL CONSULT TINUBU BEFORE CHOSING HIS CHIEF OF STAFF THEN THAT PERSON BRAIN IS MADE OF TISSUE PAPER.

Buhari will consulted u & your family, are u happy now?Haters will die young oh.

Yebosola:




Buhari will consulted u & your family, are u happy now?Haters will die young oh.

Ewu Gambia

So Tinubu is now reduced to seeking relevance after his push for CoS failed? Seriously, you mean your god anointed a June 12 collaborator as CoS? Is that not a slap on Yoruba face? Confused lot!

Street Journal?

If there is no Wall there then u r just like most Nigerian media houses (print n online) who conjure abracadabra n call it "inside source","report reaching us" and "an impeccable source"...

Ndi ara!!

So, there's no security/background check on his person

Until Buhari administration, I never knew serious things about chief of staff. Who ever remembered who was chief of staff to Jonathan?

I think the media house made this post so unnecessarily loud. When they said the late Abba Kyari was the de facto president.
Listen people, stop paying attention to irrelevant things. Any post can be powerful depending on the closeness to the president. Any post can also be irrelevant if the president deems so. Lets stop all these news about Chief of staff.

Corona should be our main concern now. Also many people that are killed daily in northern Nigeria in the name of bandits or fulani herdsmen

Afolak:
Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari is too overqualified for the role.

More alarming is the fact that he is too over-old for this gatekeeper role as well. This position is not about narrating Cold War era nonsense or yada yada about East-West Germany's pre-reunification rapprochement, so I don't see what cognate/pragmatic/vital skills this worn-out, 80 year old retired diplomat (accomplished though he may be) would bring to the office of CoS.

These abokki granddaddies are too shameless and power thirsty because politics is their only means of sustenance. It's a joke. Bunch of repugnant gerontocrats.

Ehn ehn, so there's a secret keeper

SpecialAdviser:
Until Buhari administration, I never knew serious things about chief of staff. Who ever remembered who was chief of staff to Jonathan?

I think the media house made this post so unnecessarily loud. When they said the late Abba Kyari was the de facto president.
Listen people, stop paying attention to irrelevant things. Any post can be powerful depending on the closeness to the president. Any post can also be irrelevant if the president deems so. Lets stop all these news about Chief of staff.

Corona should be our main concern now. Also many people that are killed daily in northern Nigeria in the name of bandits or fulani herdsmen

WHO said Covid19 might be here to stay. Are going to keep being obsessive about it? Our lives has we now know it has to move on.

I wish the Prof Gambari the best in his job.

Fake news again

What is all this rubbish na?! How much do people like this get paid to lie? Such poor scheming!

GreenDestiny2:
I knew Tinubu was consulted when a phantom group from Lagos asked Buhari to choose Tinubu as COS. It's a deliberate attempt to exclude Tinubu as being instrumental to Gambari's emergence. That way, you won't see Tinubu as a cabal member.

You are smart.

Hedonini:

More alarming is the fact that he is too over-old for this gatekeeper role as well. This position is not about narrating Cold War era nonsense or yada yada about East-West Germany's pre-reunification rapprochement, so I don't see what cognate/pragmatic/vital skills this worn-out, 80 year old retired diplomat (accomplished though he may be) would bring to the office of CoS.

These abokki granddaddies are too shameless and power thirsty because politics is their only means of sustenance. It's a joke. Bunch of repugnant gerontocrats.

I can understand your frustrations