A bombshell new biography of former President Muhammadu Buhari has exposed shocking details of political intrigue and power plays within the highest echelons of Nigeria's government. The book reveals a brazen attempt by influential aides to use fake presidential directives to manipulate the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primaries ahead of the 2023 elections.
The Failed Plot to Crown Ahmad Lawan
According to revelations in "From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari," authored by Dr Charles Omole, a clandestine operation was launched on the eve of the APC presidential primaries in Abuja. The book details how individuals close to the former president approached the nation's top security chiefs.
These aides allegedly issued fake orders, claiming to act on President Buhari's instruction. Their mission was to compel the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), and the head of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to deploy security forces. The objective was to ensure the emergence of former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, as the party's so-called "consensus" candidate.
The then Inspector-General of Police, Alkali Baba, is quoted in the biography as having immediately rejected the suspicious directive. He reportedly persuaded his fellow security chiefs that the matter was too grave to accept at face value and required direct confirmation from the President himself.
Buhari's Denial and the Defence of Democracy
The trio of security heads sought an urgent audience with President Buhari to clarify the orders. When asked if there were any special instructions regarding the party convention, Buhari's response was unequivocal: there were none.
The biography recounts that Buhari even laughed upon hearing that celebrations had already begun in Lawan's neighbourhood, based on rumours of a presidential endorsement. He made it clear he had not anointed any candidate, emphasising that Nigerians should choose and that security agencies must not interfere in the political process.
Armed with this clarification, the IGP returned to inform the plotters that their scheme had failed. The security apparatus would not be weaponised to manipulate the primaries. The author presents this episode as a testament to Buhari's principled stance against turning state institutions into tools for political gain, even when it displeased powerful forces within his own party.
First Lady's Role and Villa Gunshots
The book also sheds new light on other dramatic events within the Presidential Villa. It discloses that former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, played a pivotal and previously under-reported role in the eventual removal of the then DSS boss, Lawal Daura, in 2018.
Despite intense pressure to reverse the decision made by then-Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, Buhari deliberately refused. An aide is quoted explaining that Buhari felt reversing an action taken by his vice president, to whom he had handed executive authority, would undermine institutional order.
In a more alarming revelation, the biography details a family dispute that escalated to gunfire inside the secure confines of the Villa. The incident involved a policeman attached to the First Lady's office. Buhari's Chief Security Officer, Idris Abubakar, swiftly arrested the officer.
When subsequent investigations implicated members of the First Family, Buhari did not hesitate to act. The book records that a nephew was essentially told to "pack his things and leave this house," with Buhari asserting that blood relations would not excuse misconduct.
Dr Omole argues that these collected incidents paint a portrait of a leader often misunderstood as passive. Instead, he suggests Buhari's restraint was a conscious choice rooted in principle, not weakness. The book aims to separate the man from the myths, providing a factual insider account of the complex interplay of power, loyalty, and betrayal at the peak of Nigerian politics.
The biography was launched on Monday at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, at a high-profile event attended by President Bola Tinubu, Gambian President Adama Barrow, and a host of other dignitaries, including former First Lady Aisha Buhari herself.
