In a startling revelation, Aisha Buhari, the widow of former President Muhammadu Buhari, has stated that her husband's administration was hampered by his reluctance to be seen as authoritarian, leading him to retain the wrong people in key positions for his entire eight-year tenure.
The Book Launch and Key Disclosure
This disclosure was made public at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday, December 16, during the presentation of a new book titled “From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari”. The biography, authored by Dr Charles Omole, chronicles Buhari's life, his military career, and his journey into democratic politics.
In her contribution to the book, Aisha Buhari provided a candid insider's perspective on the political dynamics that shaped her husband's presidency from 2015 to 2023.
A Villa Transformed and Loyalists Locked Out
Aisha recalled that soon after President Buhari assumed office, a noticeable shift occurred within the seat of power. Individuals who had steadfastly supported him during his long years in opposition began to vanish from the corridors of the Presidential Villa.
She described a scenario where “familiar faces are ‘locked out,’ their names allegedly logged by security agents and reported elsewhere.” This created a disconnect, with campaign stalwarts left on the outside while technocrats and loyalists of other power blocs operated on the inside.
“There was a growing gap between the promise of a movement and the reality of a government,” she wrote. Reflecting on the political maneuvering, she added, “They had money; they had people; but they did not have the power to install a president. They reduced Nigeria to a sitting-room meeting.”
Fear of the 'Dictator' Tag and Its Consequences
Aisha Buhari expressed deep concern over the motives of some individuals who surrounded the president. She lamented that many were more focused on personal enrichment—seeking money, access, and contracts—than on genuine service to the nation.
According to her, these appointees failed to distinguish between the purpose and responsibility of power and the mere rewards that come with proximity to it. This environment bred significant operational problems within the presidency, including:
- Constantly shifting schedules.
- The exclusion of trusted allies.
- Rumours of forged signatures.
- A pervasive atmosphere of distrust.
The former First Lady stated that despite her private appeals to her husband, the situation did not improve. She attributed the president's inaction to a deep-seated fear of being labelled a dictator. “A president who feared being called a dictator hesitated to dismiss men who disappointed him,” she explained.
This hesitation, she concluded, defined a major flaw of the administration. “He had the wrong people in the right places. He didn't change them for eight years,” Aisha Buhari summed up, delivering a stark assessment of the two-term presidency.
