A lawyer and biographer of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Dr Charles Omole, has said President Bola Tinubu’s administration is characterised by the presence of multiple cabals, a development he warned could slow decision-making at the highest levels of government.
Omole made the assertion on Thursday while speaking on Politics Today, a political affairs programme aired on Channels Television.
According to him, unlike previous administrations where influence was more centralised, the current government operates through several power blocs with overlapping interests.
He claimed that some of these cabals are headed by key figures close to the President, including the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu; the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; and the President’s son, Seyi Tinubu.
“So in this current administration, you have at least five groups. There is the Chief of Staff group. And by that, I mean not just him, but people who are in that circle. You add Wike to that, you add the National Security Adviser to that—people who are in that circle; that’s one,” Omole said.
He went on to identify what he described as a second cabal centred around Seyi Tinubu, comprising individuals he allegedly helped to secure positions in government. According to Omole, a third group revolves around the First Lady, who he said has her own political and administrative network.
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“The fourth group is a group of the young Turks around the President—the Principal Private Secretary, the Aide-de-Camp, the Chief Security Officer—those who control access; they form their own cabal. And then the fifth cabal, which the President heads himself, is what I call the geriatrics—older people who have influence on the President and whose advice he listens to,” he said.
Omole warned that the existence of multiple cabals could have implications for governance, particularly in slowing down policy decisions due to competing interests.
“One cabal pushes a decision, the others fight against it, and it takes a while for the President to make a final call,” he said.
However, he argued that cabals are not inherently negative, noting that their impact depends on whether they align with the President’s vision. “Cabals can become force multipliers if they share the intention of the leader. The problem arises when they pursue their own agendas,” he added.
Drawing a comparison with the Buhari administration, Omole said power under the former President was more centralised around a single dominant cabal, unlike the fragmented structure he believes exists under Tinubu.
Omole is the author of a 600-page biography titled From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, which was unveiled on Monday at the State House. The 22-chapter book documents Buhari’s early life, military career, presidency between 2015 and 2023, and events leading to his death in a London hospital in mid-July 2025.
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