Former Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Lawal Daura, has blamed some of the shortcomings of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration on individuals around the former president whom he described as sycophants who betrayed the trust placed in them.
Daura, who is the vice-presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today aired on Monday.
The former DSS chief also rejected claims that Buhari’s administration was the worst in Nigeria’s history, urging critics to examine the country’s political history between 1995 and 2023 before reaching such a conclusion.
“Yes, they can say it, but I also want them, the real students of history, to go back from 1995 to 2023, when he exited, and find out which were the worst years. I wasn’t part of the government then,” Daura said.
Daura said his position as intelligence chief required him to remain close to Buhari and protect the administration, adding that he remained committed to the former president throughout his tenure.
“And that will show you that I stood by him and I protected that government. Everything started to give way after 2018 since I left office,” he said.
‘There Was No Cabal’
Daura dismissed suggestions that he was part of a powerful cabal that influenced Buhari, insisting that no such cabal existed.
“I know the details of what they have done,” he said.
“No, there is no cabal. Even if there was a cabal, the intelligence chief of a country can never be part of a cabal because the schedule I handled made it necessary for me to be close to the president at all times.”
According to Daura, the individuals he described as sycophants did not necessarily mislead Buhari but instead betrayed the confidence the former president placed in them.
Appointments Should Be Based on Competence
Daura said one of the major lessons from the Buhari administration was the need to separate personal relationships and loyalty from competence when making appointments to public offices.
He argued that friendship or close association with a political leader should not automatically qualify anyone for sensitive government positions.
According to him, trusted associates should be assessed based on their abilities before being appointed, while the responsibilities assigned to them should match their competence and the level of trust placed in them.
Daura said the Buhari administration suffered because some individuals were given important responsibilities without adequate consideration of their suitability for the positions.
“And even if you are to do that, you must also weigh the quality of that person and then maybe place him in an office that befits him or is proportionate to maybe the level of trust you have in that person,” he said.
“But in that situation, an unfortunate situation, I would say, it so happened that people were just, you know, trusted.”
