Fatima Buhari, first daughter of late Muhammadu Buhari, says Tunde Sabiu, former private secretary to the president, wielded considerable influence over government operations.
She made the claim in “From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari’, a biography authored by Charles Omole.
Fatima insisted she was not reporting anonymous gossip, but sharing what she personally observed while her father served as Nigeria’s president.
She recounted that tales about Sabiu, also Buhari’s nephew, were widespread, with one foreign visitor joking in a film clip that it was impossible to see the president without Sabiu’s consent.
The first daughter recalled that several ministers acted as if only Sabiu could advance official matters.
She added that a climate of fear existed within the administration, where upsetting Sabiu could halt or stall government initiatives.
“Tunde,” she said, in an account supported by other sources, “had a hold on most of the ministers”.
She explained that he made it apparent to ministers that their actions required his approval.
Fatima acknowledged that the position of private secretary naturally carries gatekeeping power, which can tempt one to exceed official authority.
“He was overbearing,” she stated.
She recounted occasions when the president himself challenged Sabiu’s influence.
“In front of me, there’s a time that Baba shouted at Tunde,” Fatima added.
She described the episode as a rare public correction from a leader who typically preferred persuasion over rebuke.
Despite this, she said, the broader system of access control persisted, allowing those in charge to impose what she described as a toll.
Fatima also raised concerns about alleged forged signatures during the administration.
As a forensic auditor, she claimed to have examined documents and presented her father with examples of fake signatures attributed to him.
She noted that others had raised similar concerns but did not identify who she believed had forged the president’s signature.
However, she stated that signature forgery was not unique to her father’s tenure, adding that previous administrations had faced similar challenges.