AISHA BUHARI: “MY HUSBAND MIGHT HAVE LIVED IF I WAS IN CONTROL”
GREATRIBUNETVNEWS–Former First Lady Aisha Buhari reveals in a new biography that mismanagement of her husband’s nutrition and feeding routine led to President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2017 health crisis.
KEY ISSUES:
– Loss of Nutrition Routine : Aisha Buhari supervised Buhari’s meals and supplements, tailored for his malnutrition symptoms and age. The routine was disrupted after moving to Aso Villa.
– Gossip and Fearmongering : Rumors spread that Aisha wanted to kill Buhari, causing him to lock his room, miss meals, and stop supplements for a year. “They said I wanted to kill him. My husband believed them for a week or so,” she said.
– Health Deterioration : Buhari spent 154 days in London for medical treatment in 2017, received blood transfusions, and admitted being “never so ill”.
– Reversal in London : Aisha took charge of Buhari’s supplements in London, mixing them into his food. He recovered swiftly, discarding his walking stick in 3 days and receiving visitors within a week.
– Debunking Conspiracy Theories : Aisha denies poisoning or mysterious ailment claims, blaming loss of nutrition routine for the crisis.
– Climate of Mistrust : Aisha alleges surveillance, bugging of offices, and playback of private conversations contributed to Buhari’s stress.
ATTRIBUTION:
From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, a 600-page biography by Charles Omole, launched at State House, Abuja
The author, added: “Critics said Buhari’s reliance on UK hospitals exposed the failure of Nigeria’s health system. A more compassionate perspective, recognises that a man in his 70s may require specialised care not readily available in Nigeria after decades of underinvestment. Buhari’s habit of handing power to his deputy during absences, ensured institutional propriety, even during personal health crises.”
The book also revealed a climate of mistrust around the Presidency, referring to how the First Lady, alleged to surveillance, the bugging of the President’s office with listening devices and playback of private conversations, saying, fear and conscience “contributed to taking his life.”
She refuted the long-held rumour that Buhari had a body double, popularly known as “Jibril of Sudan,” as absurd, arguing that poor strategic communication in government allowed simple, banal developments to metastasise into conspiracies.
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