Former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has disclosed that her late husband, Muhammadu Buhari was vulnerable to scheming and manipulation by his extended relatives.
She disclosed this in the biography, From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, authored by Charles Omole.
The former First Lady disclosed that old friends and extended family members of the late former President exploited his weaknesses.
According to Buhari, her late husband was deeply fond of his extended family members and old friends, a disposition they allegedly took advantage of.
The book quoted her as saying, “With most of her children living and studying abroad early in Buhari’s first term, extended family members filled the void and occupied houses across the Villa.
“And because of his fondness and attachment to his extended family and old friends, Buhari was vulnerable to all kinds of scheming and manipulations.
“Those who knew his weaknesses exploited them to the detriment of the lofty goals of his administration.”
Meanwhile, Aisha Buhari, had earlier disclosed that her late husband died of pneumonia and not cancer, contrary to widely circulated reports suggesting pulmonary lymphoma or leukaemia
Aisha’s account is contained in a new biography titled From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, authored by Dr Charles Omole.
The book revealed that the final days of Buhari’s life, shortly after the completion of his eight-year tenure as president, were traumatic for his family due to serious health challenges.
Recounting the experience, Aisha Buhari said, “The final days were difficult. ICU for some days, then the ward, then the slide.
“The last three days were the worst.”
Buhari was in his eighties when he completed his two terms in office. According to the biography, Buhari’s health challenges intensified in his final year after leaving office, leading to increased medical trips abroad.
“After leaving office, in his final year before passing, phone calls increased and transatlantic trips became more frequent,” the book stated.
“The family’s calendar was filled with funerals and flights. He had gone to the UK, as he often did, to repair a tooth and enjoy the summer air.”
Aisha reportedly stayed back in Abuja to mourn a nephew before returning to London, only to travel back to Nigeria again following the death of an uncle.
Aisha Buhari attributed her husband’s illness to decades of physical exposure dating back to his military career.
“He had been a soldier in the bush for 30 months, mostly in the South-South, soaked by rain in uniforms that dried on his body,” the book quoted her as saying.
“Decades later, she believes, the cold had lodged in his lungs and bones, exacerbated by office air-conditioning.”
She acknowledged that Buhari had smoked earlier in life and noted that age worsened his condition.
“Pneumonia was the last adversary,” the biography stated.
The book detailed that Buhari’s children moved in and out of hospital corridors, with one daughter spending the night before his final day by his bedside.
Doctors reportedly diagnosed acute pneumonia, a diagnosis that raised questions among members of the public.
“Pneumonia doesn’t usually kill people,” Aisha was quoted as being told.
She replied, “It can, especially with old age, and perhaps with a lifetime’s exposure to cold and dust in the field.
“He always coughed, even when he laughed.”
Aisha recounted intimate moments from Buhari’s last hours, including efforts by a Gambian nurse to help relieve his breathing using a pillow.
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