Ex-DSS Chief Lawal Daura Details Sycophants' Betrayal of Buhari's Trust

Former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura, recently asserted that the administration of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari was compromised by individuals he described as sycophants. These individuals, according to Daura, exploited Buhari’s confidence and took undue advantage of his time in office.

Daura, who is also the vice-presidential candidate for the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), shared these insights during an appearance on Channels Television’s "Politics Today" program, which aired on Monday, September 7. He challenged critics who label Buhari’s tenure as the worst in Nigeria's history to conduct a thorough review of the nation's political landscape between 1995 and 2023 before arriving at such a definitive conclusion.

The former intelligence chief stated that his role necessitated a close working relationship with President Buhari, and he maintained that he consistently supported and safeguarded the former president’s government. “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 remarked. He further claimed, “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.”

Daura confirmed the presence of sycophants surrounding Buhari, adding that he was privy to their identities and the specifics of their actions. He, however, vehemently dismissed suggestions that he was part of any so-called "cabal" within the former president’s inner circle. “No, there is no cabal,” he declared. “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, these sycophants did not necessarily mislead President Buhari but rather betrayed the deep trust he had placed in them. Reflecting on crucial lessons from Buhari’s administration, Daura emphasized that personal connections should not automatically serve as the basis for public office appointments. He stressed the importance of evaluating an individual’s loyalty or association separately from their competence and integrity required for a specific role.

Daura further advised that even when considering a trusted associate for a government position, a rigorous assessment of their capabilities is essential. The responsibilities assigned should align proportionally with both their skills and the level of trust reposed in them. He concluded, “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,” adding, “But in that situation, an unfortunate situation, I would say, it so happened that people were just, you know, trusted.” Ultimately, Daura argued that Buhari’s administration faced challenges because certain individuals were given responsibilities without adequate consideration of their suitability for the roles.