Shittu Alleges Buhari’s Government Was Hijacked Due To His Health Challenges, Induced Inner Circle

…Says, “Osinbajo’s Intelligence Wasted While “Minions” Ran the Government”

FCT, ABUJA, NIGERIA – Former Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, has made a damning revelation about the Buhari administration, claiming that the late President Muhammadu Buhari’s prolonged ill-health enabled a powerful inner circle – especially his late Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari – to take full control of the federal government throughout his tenure.

Speaking in an interview with News Central TV on July 14, 2025, Shittu said, “For a long time he was sick. He was reportedly sick. You recall that even during his first term, he had to be transported to the UK for, you know, all kinds of medical treatment and so on.”

Shittu went further to suggest that Buhari’s illness may have been deliberately induced.
“Consistently, you know, he had to be (treated). So people claimed that they were induced sicknesses from some of the very people who were very close to him. Perhaps they wanted him to be more of a weakling so that they could take advantage of controlling of government”, he claimed.

When pressed to clarify what he meant by “induced sickness”, the former minister said:
“Perhaps. I mean, when a sickness is induced, you know, it could be devilish methods of doing such things. Or maybe it was poisoned. Nobody really knew the truth.”

He emphasized, “But the truth is he was not himself for most of the time. And, you know, these minions – I mean, Chief of Staff… Abba Kyari in particular – and a few others, you know, were in total control to the extent that they were not even allowing the Deputy, I mean, Vice-President, to have full and effective control.”

On the role of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo during Buhari’s incapacitation, Shittu revealed, “No, I mean, they blocked him from several things, you know. And, I mean, the man had just had to take his time so that he’s not seen to be wanting, you know, to accelerate, you know, taking over of the government.”

He continued, “In an ideal situation, when a substantive officeholder like the President is sick, the Vice-President steps in immediately. But this was never allowed to occur, despite the evident sickness or incapability of the President. And, I mean, that went on for virtually eight years. Oh, naturally it will leave a gap.”

Shittu praised Osinbajo’s competence, stating, “Ordinarily, the Vice-President is one of the most intelligent politicians we have in this country. Very articulate and has a lot of ideas, you know. But he was not to be, as it were.”

He lamented that, “These minions, you know, took over giving directions, giving instructions here and there and compromising a whole lot of things. It was very unfortunate, but that was the situation, you know.”

Reflecting on his own exclusion from Buhari’s second-term cabinet, Shittu made yet another controversial claim, “After my first term, I was not reappointed. And my suspicion was perhaps some other person had gone to buy my slot.”