Aisha Buhari revelations shed light on gossip, mistrust and disrupted nutrition behind Muhammadu Buhari’s 2017 health crisis
Former First Lady Aisha Buhari has disclosed that her late husband, President Muhammadu Buhari, began locking his room after rumours in Aso Rock claimed she planned to kill him.
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Aisha Buhari said the gossip contributed to a breakdown in Buhari’s feeding routine, which she described as the real cause of his 2017 health crisis.
Her account appears in a new biography, From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, written by Dr Charles Omole and launched at the State House on Monday.
The 600-page book chronicles Buhari’s life from Daura, Katsina State, to his death in a London hospital in July 2025.
According to the book, Aisha Buhari had long supervised her husband’s meals and supplements at strict hours.
She described Buhari as slender and prone to malnutrition symptoms, stressing the importance of consistency.
She said the routine worked effectively before the family moved into Aso Villa.
The former First Lady said the Presidency disrupted their private life and weakened the carefully managed feeding plan.
She convened a meeting with senior aides, including Buhari’s physician, Suhayb Rafindadi, and security officials, to explain the nutrition schedule.
The plan involved timed meals, supplements, protein portions and cereals tailored for an elderly body.
However, she said fearmongering soon took hold within the Villa.
According to her account, rumours spread that she intended to poison the President.
She said Buhari believed the claims briefly and began locking his room and changing habits.
Meals were delayed or missed, while supplements stopped entirely.
“For a year, he did not have lunch,” she said, describing the situation as reckless mismanagement.
The deterioration led to Buhari’s extended medical stays in the United Kingdom in 2017, totalling 154 days.
During the period, Buhari transferred presidential authority to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Upon his return, Buhari admitted he had never been so ill and had received blood transfusions.
Aisha Buhari dismissed claims of poisoning, insisting the illness stemmed from loss of routine, not conspiracy.
In London, doctors prescribed a stronger supplement regimen.
The book said Buhari was initially fearful and resisted taking the medication.
Aisha Buhari later ensured compliance by mixing supplements into his meals.
She described the recovery as swift and remarkable.
Within days, Buhari abandoned his walking stick and resumed receiving visitors.
Omole noted that Buhari’s reliance on UK hospitals drew criticism over Nigeria’s healthcare system.
He argued that specialised care for elderly patients was often unavailable locally due to decades of underinvestment.
The book also revealed a climate of mistrust within the Presidency.
Aisha Buhari alleged surveillance and the bugging of private conversations.
She rejected claims that Buhari had a body double, describing the story as absurd.
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She said weak government communication allowed harmless developments to grow into damaging conspiracies.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
