Fatima Buhari Exposes How Tunde Sabiu Allegedly Wielded Power Over Ministers
- Fatima, daughter of late President Muhammadu Buhari, revealed how Tunde Sabiu wielded extensive influence over ministers and controlled access to the president
- She alleged that her father’s nephew and private secretary controlled access to the president, and ministers feared displeasing him
- Fatima shared her account in ‘From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari’, a biography written by Charles Omole
Legit.ng's Muslim Muhammad Yusuf is a 2025 Wole Soyinka Award-winning journalist with over 8 years of experience in investigative reporting, human rights, politics, governance and accountability in Nigeria.
Fatima Buhari, daughter of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, has revealed the immense influence wielded by Tunde Sabiu, former private secretary to the president, during her father’s administration.
According to Fatima, Sabiu, who is also Buhari’s nephew, controlled document flow, managed access to the president, and exercised authority well beyond his official duties.
Source: Twitter
The revelation comes from From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, a biography by Charles Omole. Fatima emphasised that she is recounting firsthand observations and not repeating rumours.
She described how ministers reportedly feared Sabiu, treating him as the gatekeeper to progress on official matters.
“Tunde had a hold on most of the ministers,” Fatima said
She said she is not spreading anonymous rumours but recounting what she personally observed and heard while her father was Nigeria’s number one citizen.
Buhari's daughter speaks about Tunde's influence
According to her account, stories about Sabiu, who was also Buhari’s nephew, circulated widely, including a foreign visitor joking in a film clip that it was impossible to see the president without his approval.
She noted that offending him could stall or halt government initiatives.
"A foreign visitor was even filmed joking that it was impossible to see the president without Sabiu’s approval." She added.
While acknowledging the natural authority of a private secretary, Fatima described Sabiu as overbearing.
Source: Twitter
However, she recalled an instance where her father publicly rebuked him, a rare moment of correction in an administration typically marked by persuasion rather than open confrontation.
“He was overbearing,” she said.
“In front of me, there’s a time that Baba shouted at Tunde,” Fatima added.
'Buhari ministers feared Tunde'
Fatima also recalled that several ministers behaved as though only Sabiu could facilitate progress on government matters.
She added that there was a clear fear within the administration that offending Sabiu could stall or completely halt official initiatives.
“Tunde,” she said, in an account corroborated by other sources, “had a hold on most of the ministers”.
She said he made it clear to them that they could do nothing without his involvement.
Buhari's daughter speaks about forged signatures
Fatima, who is a forensic auditor, also raised concerns about forged signatures during her father’s tenure.
Fatima said she personally reviewed documents and presented examples of fake signatures to her father.
However, she noted she could not identify the individuals responsible and clarified that such forgery was not unique to Buhari’s presidency, having occurred in previous administrations as well.
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The biography of Muhammadu Buhari had presented her choice as a personal reset after years in the political spotlight.
Aisha Buhari had planned to focus on family, philanthropy, travel, and continued leadership of her foundation and medical centre.
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In an earlier story, Legit.ng reported that Former president Muhammadu Buhari's wife, Aisha, has disclosed that her husband once believed in the Aso Rock gossip that she was planning to kill him.
The former first lady also disclosed how the late president began to treat her at the Presidential Villa amid the rumours.
Aisha Buhari made this disclosure in a new 600-page biography of the late president, which was unveiled at the State House in Abuja on Monday, December 15.
Source: Legit.ng
