Former First Lady Aisha Buhari has explained why her late husband, former President Muhammadu Buhari, rarely fired underperforming aides and even advocated on behalf of some allies under investigation.
Her story was featured in Dr. Charles Omole’s new 600-page biography, “From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari,” which was unveiled on Monday at the State House in Abuja.
“When asked to step aside for investigations, Buhari pleaded with the new government on behalf of his kinsmen, seeking to shield them from inquiry because he still depended on them for many personal matters,” read the 22-chapter book chronicling his early life in Daura, Katsina State, until his final hours in a London hospital in mid-July 2025.
Aisha said the question that haunts the Buhari presidency remains “Why weren’t those who ‘disappointed him’—ministers who could not deliver, [service] chiefs who outlasted their prime—replaced?”
She cited two reasons: growing age and sensitivity to the “dictator” reputation from the 1980s, which made him fearful of being perceived as merciless.
“As you age, performance changes,” she stated.
He was particularly concerned about the stigma, remarking, “If I remove him, they will say I am this and that.” He would say, “The devil you know.”
She contended that individuals surrounding the president learned to capitalize on his uncertainty, frequently repeating warning clichés that fueled his reluctance.
The former First Lady said, “Even if a man ‘eats,’ if he can still deliver 50 percent, keep him; but if he both eats and cannot perform, then he must go.”
Omole wrote that “This analysis by Aisha provides an additional angle on the children’s explanation for why Buhari was always reluctant to sack people. The family all agreed this was a fault in the Buhari government, but it is mitigated by the realism of the cabal’s manipulation of his emotions.”
Since 2023, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has investigated several key people from the Buhari administration.
Former Accountant-General Ahmed Idris is being tried for an alleged N109 billion fraud scheme, to which he has pled not guilty. Former Power Minister Saleh Mamman was arrested for allegedly diverting over N22 billion from the Zungeru/Mambilla projects.
Hadi Sirika, the former Minister of Aviation, has been charged with contract fraud in connection with Nigeria Air and other projects, with charge sheets quoting values of roughly N2.7 billion in one case.
Sadiya Umar-Farouq, former Humanitarian Affairs Minister, has been questioned in connection with N37.1 billion in social-intervention spending; Halima Shehu, former NSIPA Director General, is also under investigation for N44 billion.
More recently, former Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami has come under fire, primarily for his role in efforts to process contested Paris Club consultant claims totaling approximately $418 million. Malami has denied wrongdoing and claims his actions were legal.
Aisha Buhari claims her late husband shielded people who should have faced examination.
Although she did not name them, she described “their closeness, greed, and immunity,” according to the book.
When questions arose in the corridors of power after he left office, she was persuaded to return to Daura so that the prosecution could begin.
She declined, claiming she had no desire to confront those she describes as “illiterate in their maturity.”
A few weeks later, she discovered he had been silent in the house for three days and was scarcely eating.
When some allies were ordered to step down for investigations, Buhari “pleaded with the new government on behalf of his kinsmen,” according to Omole, because he still relied on them for many personal concerns.
The book read, “When questions about those years started emerging in the corridors of power, someone urged her to return to Daura to stay with him. ‘If you are there, they can prosecute the people,’ the warning went. She declined, stating she had no interest in confronting those she describes as illiterate in her maturity. However, the story didn’t conclude with her refusal. A few weeks later, she learned he had not spoken to the household for three days and had been eating hardly anything.
“Later still, she found out that when asked to step aside for investigations, Buhari pleaded with the new government on behalf of his kinsmen, seeking to shield them from inquiry because he still depended on them for many personal matters. Conscience is an ancient hunter.
“In the months before his death, she says he became more reserved, mostly replying with yes or no and avoiding eye contact. ‘All that I told him had come to pass,’ she remarks calmly. Shame, duty, and love, all the unpredictable forces of a shared life, dominated his final days, a man who had always prided himself on integrity.”
