Former First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, has provided an account of the circumstances surrounding the 2017 health crisis of her late husband, former President Muhammadu Buhari, stating that the episode stemmed from a disruption in his long-standing nutrition and feeding regimen rather than from poisoning or any undisclosed medical condition.
Her account is contained in a newly released 600-page biography titled From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, authored by Dr. Charles Omole and formally launched at the State House on Monday. The 22-chapter publication documents the former President’s life trajectory from his childhood in Daura, Katsina State, to his final days in a London hospital in July 2025.
According to the book, Mrs. Buhari disclosed that persistent rumors within the Presidential Villa alleged that she intended to harm her husband, claims she categorically denied. She stated that the misinformation caused the President to become suspicious for a period, during which he altered his personal habits, including locking his room and, critically, abandoning his prescribed feeding and supplement routine.
Mrs. Buhari explained that she had historically supervised her husband’s nutrition, administering meals and supplements at specific intervals to address symptoms associated with long-term malnutrition. She maintained that this structured regimen had enabled him to maintain functional health and did not involve treatment for any chronic illness.
The biography recounts that, following the transition into Aso Rock, Mrs. Buhari convened a meeting involving senior aides and security officials, including the President’s physician, the Chief Security Officer, household staff, and the Director-General of the State Security Service, to outline the importance of maintaining the nutritional schedule. Despite these measures, the routine reportedly deteriorated amid internal distrust and administrative interference.
Mrs. Buhari is quoted as stating that meal delays, missed lunches, and the discontinuation of supplements persisted for an extended period, contributing directly to the former President’s physical decline. She asserted that, contrary to public speculation, the health crisis was the result of mismanaged nutrition rather than any covert act or medical mystery.
The deterioration culminated in two extended medical absences to the United Kingdom in 2017, totaling 154 days, during which presidential authority was formally transferred to then Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. Upon his return, President Buhari publicly acknowledged that he had never previously experienced such severe illness and confirmed that he had received blood transfusions during treatment.
The book further states that medical specialists in London prescribed an enhanced nutritional and supplement regimen. Initially reluctant, the former President reportedly resumed compliance after Mrs. Buhari assumed direct oversight, leading to what she described as a rapid recovery marked by restored mobility and social engagement.
Dr. Omole noted that while critics interpreted Buhari’s reliance on foreign medical care as evidence of systemic failure within Nigeria’s healthcare sector, a more contextual assessment recognizes the specialized needs of an elderly individual following decades of institutional under-investment.
The biography also addresses broader concerns surrounding mistrust within the Presidency. Mrs. Buhari alleged that the President’s office was subjected to surveillance, including the installation of listening devices, and claimed that the prevailing climate of fear and suspicion adversely affected his well-being.
Finally, she dismissed longstanding conspiracy theories suggesting the existence of a presidential body double, popularly referred to as “Jibril of Sudan,” describing such claims as unfounded and attributing their spread to inadequate strategic communication by government officials.#newsafro_
