Aisha Buhari says ‘cabal’ undermined late husband’s presidency

By Kunle Sanni –

Former First Lady Aisha Buhari has delivered a scathing assessment of her late husband, President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure, accusing a powerful inner circle of undermining his administration.

In a newly released book, From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, authored by Dr. Charles Omole and unveiled Monday at the State House Banquet Hall, Aisha Buhari recounts how Buhari was allegedly held “captive” by a “mafia of a certain kind,” made up of elderly relatives, elites, and loyalists who pursued personal interests over national priorities.

Chapter 22 of the book, titled Revelations at Last After the Silence: Aisha Buhari’s Account of the Villa and the Men Who Fought a Presidency, depicts how those who helped secure Buhari’s 2015 victory were sidelined by the cabal, which controlled access to the president and influenced key appointments.

Aisha Buhari described how the Villa was dominated by extended family members, courtiers, and staff who “learned the shortcuts and shadows,” attempting to marginalise her and even plotting to push her out of the presidential residence.

“This is my house. You can live wherever you like, but you cannot be in charge of my husband’s office and then also be in charge of me, his wife, inside my house,” she said.

The former First Lady blamed the inner circle for many administrative failures, noting that Buhari “had the wrong people in the right places” and failed to make necessary changes over his eight-year tenure. She highlighted how schedules were manipulated, allies were excluded, and rumours circulated about forged signatures, all undermining the administration’s effectiveness.

The book also reveals Aisha Buhari’s role in the 2023 presidential succession. She endorsed Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, citing the moral imperative of power rotation to the South and Tinubu’s electoral appeal in the North.

She claims her husband did not influence the selection process, but the cabal around him, led by Mamman Daura, reportedly had other preferences.