In a stunning revelation, former First Lady Aisha Buhari has disclosed that late President Muhammadu Buhari began locking his bedroom door after believing malicious gossip within the Presidential Villa that she planned to kill him. This account, which sheds new light on the internal dynamics of the Buhari presidency, is detailed in a new biography launched on Monday, December 15.
The Nutrition Regimen That Kept Buhari Strong
The biography, titled "From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari" and authored by Dr. Charles Omole, traces Buhari's life from his early days in Daura, Katsina State, to his final hours in a London hospital in July 2025. A significant portion addresses his health challenges.
According to Aisha Buhari, her husband was "a slender man with a long history of malnutrition symptoms." To maintain his strength, she had long supervised a strict feeding and supplement routine. "Elderly bodies require gentle, consistent support," she is quoted as saying, emphasizing that the President had no chronic illness but needed to be kept on schedule.
This meticulous regimen, described as "my nutrition," involved daily cups and bowls with tailored vitamin powders, oils, and specific proteins at precise hours. She had explained this plan to close staff, including his physician Dr. Suhayb Rafindadi, Chief Security Officer Bashir Abubakar, the housekeeper, and the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS).
How Gossip and Fear Shattered the Routine
The critical breakdown began when gossip and fear-mongering spread through Aso Rock. "They said I wanted to kill him," Aisha Buhari revealed. Shockingly, "My husband believed them for a week or so."
This belief triggered a drastic change in the President's behavior. He started locking his room, altered small habits, and, most crucially, allowed his meal and supplement schedule to collapse. "Meals were delayed or missed; the supplements were stopped," the book states. Aisha Buhari lamented that "For a year, he did not have lunch. They mismanaged his meals."
The Consequence: A 154-Day Health Crisis
The deterioration from this broken routine culminated in a severe health crisis. In 2017, President Buhari was forced to take two extended medical trips to the United Kingdom, totalling 154 days of medical leave. During this period, he ceded presidential authority to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Upon his return, Buhari himself admitted to being "never so ill" and revealed he had undergone blood transfusions. The biography presents Aisha Buhari's firm view that the 2017 health crisis did not originate from a mysterious ailment but from the loss of a carefully managed nutritional routine, exacerbated by toxic gossip and distrust.
The launch of the book at the State House has brought these previously private struggles into the public domain, offering a poignant and personal perspective on the challenges within Nigeria's highest office.
