Sabiu Tunde ‘Who Once Sold Recharged Card to Survive’ had too Much Power During My Father’s Presidency – Fatima Buhari Reveals
By Morris Nor// Fatima Buhari, daughter of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, revealed that Tunde Sabiu — her father’s former private secretary — held influence far beyond what his official position warranted, to the extent that even ministers were afraid of him.
She made this revelation in the biography From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, written by Charles Omole.
According to her, this was not based on rumours, but on what she personally witnessed and heard while her father was in office. She described Sabiu, who is also a relative of Buhari, as having control over documents, access to the President, and decision-making power beyond his rank.
She recalled how his influence was so widespread that even a foreign diplomat once joked in a video that “you can’t see President Buhari without Sabiu’s approval.”
Fatima added that some ministers acted like nothing could happen in government without going through Sabiu — a clear sign of how much control he wielded at the time.
Daily Correspondents recalls that Sabiu, also known as ‘Idiagbon’, was a former recharged card seller in the streets of Kaduna prior to the 2015 presidential election won by President Muhammadu Buhari.
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