Former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has explained why her late husband, former President Muhammadu Buhari, often avoided sacking underperforming aides and later pleaded with President Bola Tinubu not to prosecute some of them.
She made this revelation in a new 600-page biography titled From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, written by Dr. Charles Omole and launched at the State House in Abuja on Monday.
According to the book, Aisha Buhari said her husband protected some close allies who should have been investigated for corruption.
She explained that Buhari depended on these individuals for many personal matters, which made it difficult for him to take firm action against them.
The author noted that Buhari’s family admitted this was a major weakness of his administration. However, they believe it was worsened by people close to him who took advantage of his emotions and loyalty.
Since Buhari left office in 2023, several senior officials who served under him have come under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Those facing probes include former Accountant-General Ahmed Idris over an alleged N109 billion fraud; ex-Power Minister Saleh Mamman over about N22 billion linked to power projects; and former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika over contract fraud related to Nigeria Air.
Others include former Humanitarian Affairs Minister Sadiya Umar-Farouq, questioned over N37.1 billion in social intervention funds, and former NSIPA boss Halima Shehu, investigated over N44 billion.
Former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami has also faced scrutiny over controversial $418 million Paris Club consultancy payments, which he has denied any wrongdoing.
Although Aisha Buhari did not name the individuals her husband protected, she described them as greedy and enjoying undue immunity. She said that after Buhari left office, pressure grew for investigations to begin.
At one point, she was advised to return to Daura to stay with him so that prosecutions could move forward. She refused, saying she had no interest in confronting people she considered immature.
Weeks later, she noticed Buhari became withdrawn, silent for days, and barely eating. She later learned that when some of his allies were asked to step aside for investigation, Buhari personally appealed to the new government to protect them.
In his final months, Aisha Buhari said her husband became quieter, avoided eye contact, and mostly answered questions with “yes” or “no.” She said he appeared deeply troubled, as shame, duty, and love weighed heavily on him.
Her account has revived debate about Buhari’s leadership style, particularly his reluctance to remove aides despite public criticism.
This was also seen in his decision to retain service chiefs for nearly six years, from 2015 to 2021, despite widespread calls for their replacement.
