Tunde Sabiu wielded excessive influence, ministers feared him – Fatima Buhari

Fatima Buhari, first daughter of the late president Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, December 17, said that Tunde Sabiu, her father’s former private secretary, wielded excessive influence, with ministers fearing him due to his control over document flow, access to the president, and authority that extended beyond his official responsibilities.

Her account appears in “From soldier to statesman: The legacy of Muhammadu Buhari,” a biography written by Charles Omole.

Fatima emphasized that she is not spreading anonymous rumors but sharing observations and experiences she personally witnessed while her father served as Nigeria’s president.

According to her, stories about Sabiu, who was also Buhari’s nephew, circulated widely.

She recalled a foreign visitor joking in a film clip that it was impossible to see the president without Sabiu’s approval.

She noted that several ministers acted as though only Sabiu could facilitate progress on government matters, creating a climate of fear that offending him could stall or halt official initiatives.

“Tunde had a hold on most of the ministers,” she said, adding that he made it clear they could achieve nothing without his involvement.

While acknowledging that a private secretary’s role naturally comes with chokepoint power, Fatima said Sabiu often overreached.

“He was overbearing,” she remarked.

She also recalled rare occasions when the president himself pushed back against Sabiu’s influence.

“In front of me, there’s a time that Baba shouted at Tunde,” she added, describing it as an unusual moment of public correction from a leader who generally preferred persuasion over rebuke.

Despite this, Fatima said the broader structure of access control persisted, allowing gatekeepers to impose what she described as a toll.

She further raised concerns about forged signatures during her father’s administration.

As a forensic auditor, Fatima said she reviewed documents and presented examples of fake signatures appended to her father’s name.

Others had also raised similar alarms, though she did not identify those responsible for the forgeries.

Fatima noted, however, that forgery was not unique to the Buhari administration, pointing out that previous governments had faced similar issues.