New Chief of Staff : 9 qualities why Buhari opted for Gambari among 14 shortlisted - Presidency source

By Dansu Peter 

Though still not made official and shrouded in uncertainty, more media reports still strongly confirm that President Muhammdu Buhari will today make official pronouncement of Prof. Ibrahim Agboola Gambari as the new Chief of Staff to the President. 

However, new report according to The Nation newspaper suggests  that the President opted for Gambari because of his patience and reputation as an international bureaucrat.

The paper said another factor which informed the President’s position was Gambari’s unofficial advisory role since 2015 without asking for any favour.

It was gathered that the President listed his expectations when he met with Gambari.

A highly-placed source said: “The appointment was sealed at an early morning meeting between the President and Gambari.

“The meeting had barely ended when many foreign embassies got the hint and they became excited about the President’s choice.”

Some of the qualities the President, according to The Nation outlined for his new Chief of Staff are:

1. Competence

2. Rich experience in bureaucracy and diplomacy

3. Absolute loyalty

4. Sharing the same vision and principle with Buhari on the Next Level Agenda

5. Longstanding relationship with the President

6. Being incorruptible

7. Being apolitical

8. Less controversial

9. A man of peace

A top source, who spoke in confidence said: “Out of the list of about 14 candidates available to the President, Gambari is the least exposed to the vagaries of Nigerian politics. He is a diplomat and an international bureaucrat.

“The appointment was made to pick an apolitical fellow and to correct the mistake of the past where the Office of the Chief of Staff is exposed to politics and pressure from politicians.

“To move forward, the President wants to restrict his Chief of Staff to bureaucratic schedule and not political manoeuvres in order to fast-track the implementation of the goals of his administration.