A former head of Nigeria's Department of State Services (DSS) has provided a startling security rationale for why ex-President Muhammadu Buhari refused to publicly name or endorse a preferred successor ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
The Revelation in a Presidential Biography
The explanation was given by Yusuf Bichi, the immediate past Director General of the DSS, within the pages of a new 600-page book on Buhari's life. The biography, titled "From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari," was authored by Dr. Charles Omole, Director General of the Institute for Police and Security Policy Research (IPSPR).
The book was formally presented to the public in Abuja on Monday, December 15, 2025. Bichi's account forms a crucial part of the historical record, shedding light on one of the most debated decisions of Buhari's final term.
Shielding a Life and Preserving Party Unity
According to Bichi, President Buhari's decision to remain silent during the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary in 2022 was a calculated move rooted in protection and political strategy. The former spy chief stated that openly anointing a successor would have been dangerously counterproductive.
"In those months, knives were out; politically and, as security professionals know too well, sometimes literally," Bichi wrote, painting a vivid picture of the high-stakes environment.
He argued that naming an heir would have effectively painted a target on that individual's back. Furthermore, it would have disrupted a primary process designed to manage political risk. Buhari's silence, therefore, was a protective shield.
"Buhari chose silence, and in doing so, absorbed the criticism that he was aloof. He was not," Bichi clarified. "He was shielding a life and preserving a fragile equilibrium inside a party whose factions (tendencies) could as easily burn down the house as surrender the nomination they coveted."
The ultimate goals, as framed by the ex-DSS boss, were twofold: to save a life from potential danger and to maintain the unity and cohesion of the ruling APC, preventing it from fracturing under the weight of internal competition.
Other Personal Disclosures from the Biography
The hefty biography also features revealing personal anecdotes from the late president's widow, Aisha Buhari. The former First Lady disclosed that her husband once believed gossip circulating in Aso Rock that she was planning to kill him, which affected their relationship within the villa.
Additionally, Aisha Buhari used the book to finally dispel a long-standing rumor about her husband's health. She clarified that his extended medical leave of 154 days in 2017 was not due to poisoning, as was widely speculated.
Instead, she attributed the health challenges to a broken routine and mismanagement of his nutrition, stating it was "not a mysterious ailment or poisoning."
The biography, through these combined insights from key security and family figures, offers a more nuanced perspective on Buhari's often-criticized detachment in his final years, framing it as strategic caution rather than indifference.
