A fresh biography on the late former President Muhammadu Buhari has ripped the lid off the intense, high-stakes power struggles and alleged betrayal that plagued the Presidential Villa, painting a vivid picture of a leader whose proximity was exploited by individuals pushing their own agendas.
The revelations are contained in “From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari,” by Dr Charles Omole, which was launched in Abuja on Monday before a host of dignitaries, including Presidents Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Adama Barrow.
The book focuses on the explosive plot on the eve of the 2022 APC presidential primaries. It claims that influential individuals close to Buhari approached the heads of Nigeria’s top security agencies – the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the Director General of the DSS, and the Director General of the NIA – falsely claiming Buhari’s instruction was to deploy forces to ensure Ahmad Lawan emerged as the party’s “consensus” candidate.
Former IGP Alkali Baba, quoted in the book, immediately rejected the directive and persuaded his counterparts that the instruction was dubious.
“The trio decided to seek an urgent audience with the President,” the book recounts. “When they asked if there was any additional instruction regarding the convention, the President said there was none.”
When told of the celebrations already underway in Lawan’s neighbourhood based on the supposed endorsement, Buhari simply laughed.
“He made it clear: he had not anointed anyone. Nigerians should choose, and the security agencies must not interfere,” the book states.
The author noted this episode demonstrated Buhari’s consistent resistance to politicizing state security institutions.
The book also revealed new details on the controversial 2018 removal of DSS DG Lawal Daura by then-Acting President Yemi Osinbajo. While Buhari refused to overturn the decision, believing that doing so “would have undermined institutional order”, the book states that the removal was heavily instigated by former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, a detail “not widely documented at the time.”
Perhaps the most disturbing revelation is the account of a family dispute that resulted in gunshots being fired inside the Presidential Villa. The incident involved a policeman attached to the First Lady’s office.
Buhari’s Chief Security Officer, Idris Abubakar, promptly arrested the officer. When investigations revealed involvement by members of the First Family, Buhari showed zero restraint in enforcing discipline:
“A nephew was told, in essence, to pack his things and leave this house,” the book records, noting that “blood ties would not shield misconduct.”
Dr. Omole concludes that these episodes show a leader “often misrepresented as passive” but whose restraint was rooted in principle, seeking to separate “Buhari the man from the myths around his presidency.”