'Buhari Didn't Want Tinubu To Become President', Buba Galadima Opens Can of Worms

'Buhari Didn't Want Tinubu To Become President', Buba Galadima Opens Can of Worms

  • Buba Galadima, a close ally of Rabiu Kwankwaso and NNPP chieftain, alleged that former President Muhammadu Buhari secretly opposed Bola Tinubu’s presidential bid
  • Galadima claimed Buhari sidelined him and other key figures by deliberately keeping the APC's Board of Trustees and National Caucus inactive for years
  • He accused Buhari of sabotaging the party's constitution review process and stated that Tinubu was aware of Buhari’s intentions but chose silence for political stability

A chieftain of the NNPP and ally to Rabiu Kwankwaso, Buba Galadima, has alleged that the former president Mohammedu Buahri did not support Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidential ambition.

Galadima also accused him of orchestrating a silent sabotage within the party's internal framework.

Buba Galadima, a prominent NNPP member has mentioned how ex-president Muhammadu Buhari sabotaged Bola Tinubu's 2023 presidential bid.
NNPP's Buba Galadima has shed light on how former president Buhari worked against Tinubu's 2023 presidential ambition. Photo credit: @MBuhari/@officialABAT
Source: Twitter

Galadima made the explosive claim during a recent interview with AIT which was monitored by Legit.ng, revealing details of his fallout with the APC and the behind-the-scenes power play that allegedly shaped the party’s internal dynamics leading up to the 2023 presidential election.

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“Buhari never wanted Tinubu to become president. I know because I was close enough to see what happened. The things he did behind closed doors showed it," Galadima said.

Internal power tussle and APC's inactive caucus

Galadima recalled how his role as a secretary of one of APC’s legacy parties was intentionally sidelined, despite constitutional provisions giving him a seat at the Board of Trustees (BoT) and National Caucus of the party.

“According to the APC constitution, secretaries of legacy parties should be part of the BoT and National Caucus for the sake of institutional memory. But Buhari made sure I was excluded," he explained.

He alleged that in an effort to revise the constitution, Buhari appointed Bola Tinubu—then a national leader—as chairman of a subcommittee meant to reinvigorate the party’s framework.

However, Galadima claimed that the subcommittee never held a meeting or produced a report.

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“Tinubu saw through what Buhari was trying to do. That’s why the committee never sat, and the constitution was never amended. Buhari never wanted those structures active because people like me would’ve had influence," Galadima continued.

No meetings, no caucus—only silence

According to Galadima, since the formation of the APC, the BoT has never officially met, and the National Caucus only convened two or three times during Buhari’s eight-year tenure, Daily Trust reported.

“This deliberate inactivity was part of the broader plan to prevent people like me from having a say. That’s why I left the party," Galadima said.

He further claimed that many senior politicians, including Tinubu himself, were aware of Buhari’s reluctance to support his rise to power but chose to stay silent for the sake of political stability.

“Even Tinubu knows Buhari didn’t want him to succeed. He just doesn’t talk about it because he sees himself as a statesman now," Galadima said.

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Galadima rules out returning to APC

Buba Galadima, an NNPP chieftain and Kwankwaso ally, explains how former president Buhari undermined Bola Tinubu’s 2023 presidential run.
Buba Galadima, a key figure in the NNPP has discussed how ex-president Buhari actively opposed Bola Tinubu's presidential aspirations in 2023. Photo credit: @OlayinkaLere/@officialAPCNG
Source: Twitter

When asked if he would ever consider returning to the APC, Galadima dismissed the idea entirely.

“Go back to APC? Not with a judiciary like this and the kind of politics they practice. There’s no going back," he said.

The revelation has sparked fresh debate about the APC's internal democracy and the extent to which personal interests may have shaped the political landscape in recent years.

Public analyst backs Buhari

Renowned public affairs analyst Hamma Hayatu has thrown his weight behind Buba Galadima’s revelations, describing them as “a bitter truth the country must finally confront.”

He also defended former President Muhammadu Buhari’s alleged attempts to block Bola Tinubu's rise to power.

Speaking with Legit.ng on Sunday, April 13, Hayatu said:

“What we’re witnessing today — the unbearable cost of living, growing insecurity, and total leadership disconnect — is precisely why Buhari tried to stop Tinubu. Love him or hate him, Buhari saw the cracks before the house collapsed.”

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He commended Galadima for speaking up, calling it a “timely intervention for historical clarity.”

“Galadima’s account only confirms what many close observers already knew. Buhari didn’t want Tinubu not out of spite, but out of fear for what Nigeria could become under his watch — and unfortunately, those fears have materialized.”

Hayatu urged Nigerians to re-evaluate the current leadership and not dismiss Buhari’s controversial silence during the 2023 transition as indifference, but perhaps as “a quiet warning.”

APC governors’ meet with Buhari in Kaduna

Previously, Legit.ng reported that the All Progressives Governors Forum paid a visit to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari at his residence in Kaduna state.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governors paid the courtesy visit amid the defection of some of Buhari’s loyalists from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

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Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Ezra Ukanwa avatar

Ezra Ukanwa (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Ezra Ukanwa is a Reuters-certified journalist with over 5 years of professional experience. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication from Anchor University, Lagos. Currently, he is the Politics and Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng, where he brings his expertise to provide incisive, impactful coverage of national events. Ezra was recognized as Best Campus Journalist at the Anchor University Communications Awards in 2019 and is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM). Contact him at: ezra.ukanwa@corp.legit.ng or +2349036989944