Public criticism has continued to trail remarks attributed to former First Lady, Dr Aisha Buhari, in a newly published biography chronicling the life and presidency of her late husband, former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The comments, which reportedly highlight internal power struggles, family influence, and governance challenges during Buhari’s eight-year administration, appear in the book From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, written by Dr Charles Omole.
The biography was recently launched at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, in the presence of President Bola Tinubu, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, and other senior government officials and dignitaries.
Since excerpts from the book began circulating publicly, political figures, commentators, and members of the public have expressed concern, describing the revelations as ill-timed and potentially damaging, given that the former president is no longer alive to respond.
Critics argue that the disclosures risk shifting historical evaluation of Buhari’s administration from policy performance to personal and domestic narratives.
In the book, Aisha Buhari is quoted as alleging that a powerful group within the Presidential Villa — made up of relatives, close associates, and their families — attempted to marginalise her and her children during Buhari’s time in office.
She claimed that some individuals exploited Buhari’s closeness to extended family members and long-time associates to exert undue influence over governance decisions, undermining the administration’s objectives.
“If the 2017 crisis began in a kitchen, its broader stage was the house where that kitchen was situated,” she was quoted as saying. “Aso Villa is not merely a home but an ecosystem.”
She further alleged attempts to control both the presidency and her personal space within the Villa, stating that while people were free to live elsewhere, they could not dominate her household and her husband’s office simultaneously.
The former First Lady also identified what she described as a key weakness of the Buhari administration: an inability to remove underperforming officials. According to the book, this reluctance stemmed from emotional restraint, fear of negative public perception, and pressure from close aides.
She reportedly said Buhari was often hesitant to sack officials to avoid being labelled authoritarian, adding that the familiar justification of “the devil you know” gradually became a shield for mediocrity.
The book further claims that relatives without official roles sought to influence access to the Presidential Villa, while some long-standing political allies from Buhari’s opposition years were gradually sidelined.
According to the biography, after private interventions failed to produce changes, Aisha Buhari chose to speak publicly.
The revelations have drawn reactions from several prominent figures. Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, urged restraint, warning against reopening internal disputes after the former president’s death. He called for Buhari’s legacy to be assessed by history rather than personal grievances.
Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, also criticised the trend of posthumous accusations, stressing that death should impose moral restraint and that unresolved disputes should not become public indictments when rebuttal is no longer possible.
Political analysis platform Haruspice argued that personal memoirs should not override the collective national experience, noting that Buhari’s record in office had long been evaluated independently of insider accounts.
Comparisons have also been drawn between Aisha Buhari and previous First Ladies such as Turai Yar’Adua and Mariam Abacha, with critics noting that despite similar allegations of behind-the-scenes influence, they did not publicly criticise their spouses after death.
The controversy intensified following the circulation of an Instagram post attributed to one of the Indimi daughters, which added emotional weight to discussions around family loyalty, timing, and propriety.
Across social media platforms, including X, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, public reaction has remained largely critical, with many Nigerians viewing the book as an attempt to reopen settled debates and reassign responsibility rather than foster reflection or closure.
