Former President Muhammadu Buhari deferred the removal of fuel subsidy in the final months of his administration after security concerns were raised over the potential consequences of such a move.
The disclosure is contained in a new book titled From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, written by Dr Charles Omole, Director-General of the Institute for Police and Security Policy Research (IPSPR). The book was presented in Abuja.
According to the book, high-level discussions were held towards the end of Buhari's administration on the possibility of removing the fuel subsidy before the handover to the next government.
The book quoted the then Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi, as warning that removing the subsidy at that period could lead to nationwide unrest. Bichi also cautioned that the situation could create conditions that might encourage military intervention.
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"I will not be a party to those events," Bichi was quoted as saying during the deliberations.
The book stated that Buhari listened to the security advice presented to him and opted to defer the removal of the subsidy.
According to the account, the decision was based on concerns that the timing of the policy could destabilise the country. The book noted that Buhari chose not to proceed with the subsidy removal in the closing phase of his administration.
The author explained that the former President preferred to leave the decision to the succeeding administration rather than take action at a time security agencies considered sensitive.
The book presents the decision as an example of restraint, shaped by security assessments and concerns about national stability.
Why Buhari Found It Hard to Let Go of Mamman Daura
-- Daughter
Fatima Buhari, daughter of former President Muhammadu Buhari, has explained why her father found it difficult to distance himself from his nephew and long-time confidant, Mamman Daura, despite tensions and concerns over his influence within the inner circle.
Her account is contained in a new book, From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, written by Dr Charles Omole, Director-General of the Institute for Police and Security Policy Research (IPSPR), and presented in Abuja.
According to Fatima, the relationship between Buhari and Daura was rooted deeply in blood ties, shared history and long-standing trust that spanned decades, from the Dodan Barracks era to Buhari's years in the Presidential Villa.
Explaining the family bond, Fatima said Mamman Daura's father and Buhari shared the same mother, making Daura not just a political ally but close family.
"Mamman Daura's father shared the same mother as my father," she said, describing a relationship in which affection and resentment coexisted.
She noted that Buhari was often aware of complaints and frustrations surrounding Daura but struggled to sever the relationship.
"Baba will personally tell us that he did this, he did that to him, but he's still with him," she recalled.
The book highlights how Daura remained a constant presence even during Buhari's years of detention following the 1985 military coup. Fatima said while family members were denied access to Buhari during that period, Daura was allowed to see him regularly.
"We were not allowed to see him," she said. "Only Mamman had access. I kept asking myself, 'Why always Mamman between Baba and the family?"'
She explained that the answer lay in obligations of kinship, decades-old habits, gratitude and Buhari's deep sense of loyalty.
However, Fatima acknowledged that the closeness came at a cost. She said a network grew around that kinship which, in her view, often took advantage of Buhari's reluctance to cause hurt, embarrassment or public disgrace.
The book further notes that Buhari's personality also played a role. According to Fatima, age and faith softened the former President over time, making him more empathetic and cautious about cutting people off.
"He understands the web of relationships -- parents, spouses, histories -- and he doesn't want to break hope," she said.
Fatima added that once Buhari trusted someone, it was difficult for him to withdraw that trust without overwhelming evidence. Even when proof emerged, she said, he preferred to correct quietly, warn privately and avoid public sackings.
"Before he realises it, that person has committed many atrocities," she said, noting that while Buhari did confront aides and raise his voice on occasion, he took no pleasure in humiliating people.
'We Wrote Notes Like Spies in Aso Rock' -- Buhari's Daughter
Fatima Buhari also revealed that her father once believed his office in the Presidential Villa was being secretly monitored, forcing them to communicate by writing notes instead of speaking aloud.
According to Fatima, there were moments when Buhari feared that conversations in his office were being listened to, prompting unusual precautions between father and daughter.
She recalled that during one quiet meeting, Buhari avoided speaking and instead made gestures, signalling that they should write their messages on paper.
"He touched his cheek, like he had a toothache, and signalled that we shouldn't talk," she said. "We wrote notes to each other, like spies in a film."
Fatima said the former President believed there were listening devices in his office at the Villa and warned her to be cautious, explaining that he, too, was careful.
The book describes the experience not as drama, but as a coping mechanism in an environment where trust was strained and privacy uncertain.
More troubling, according to the account, was Buhari's apparent resignation to the situation, despite being Commander-in-Chief.
Fatima questioned what influence those suspected of planting the devices -- often referred to as "the cabal" -- may have wielded over her father, especially as the alleged surveillance was said to have taken place within the highly secured Presidential Villa.
The book further notes that some security chiefs who served under Buhari later confirmed that strange objects were regularly discovered in the President's office and bedroom during routine security sweeps. However, how such items entered those restricted areas remained unclear.
Fatima described the atmosphere around the Villa as deeply unsettling, at times bordering on what she termed "diabolical".
"No Forged Signature, Buhari Personally Signed Documents"
The new book on the life and presidency of former President Muhammadu Buhari has dismissed long-standing allegations that official documents were signed on his behalf without his knowledge, insisting that Buhari personally signed all documents during his time in office.
According to the book, claims that a "Presidential stamp" was used to authorise documents in Buhari's absence were unfounded, stressing that no such stamp existed and that the former President personally signed documents by hand.
The publication revisits rumours that swirled around Buhari's inner circle, particularly allegations involving his former Private Secretary, Tunde Sabiu, who was widely portrayed as a powerful gatekeeper within the Presidency.
Dr Omole, citing accounts from close aides including former Chief Security Officer to the President, Bashir Abubakar Idris, stated that Buhari remained firmly in control of decision-making and documentation throughout his presidency.
"There was no stamp. Buhari signed documents himself, with a pen. That is the simple fact," the book states.
The book, however, acknowledges that rumours circulated alleging that forged signatures resembling Buhari's were once shown to him. According to the account, the former President was surprised by the claims but declined to act without concrete evidence, consistent with his long-held principle of demanding proof rather than acting on allegations.
It further explains that as Private Secretary, Sabiu's role involved receiving, logging and transmitting documents to and from the President's office after Buhari had taken decisions on them. This position, the book notes, naturally made him a central figure in the flow of official paperwork.
"Anybody who controls the flow of documents can, one way or another, influence outcomes," Idris was quoted as saying, adding that delays in processing memos by aides could fuel suspicions of access trading, even when no direct evidence existed.
The book maintains that while delays and prioritisation of documents may have occurred within the system, there was no proof that Buhari's signature was forged or that presidential authority was usurped.
It also highlights Buhari's leadership style, describing him as disciplined, humorous in private, and deeply committed to rules. One anecdote recalls the former President insisting on stopping at traffic lights at night, even when security operatives could have cleared the road.
"Respect the lights," Buhari was quoted as saying.
The book concludes that Buhari remained the final authority in government, acting decisively when presented with evidence and refusing to sanction individuals based on rumours or unproven claims.
'Naira Redesign Targeted Vote-Buying, Not Party'
Former President Muhammadu Buhari approved the naira redesign policy as a measure aimed at addressing vote-buying during elections, and not to target any political party, according to a new book on his administration.
The disclosure is contained in From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, written by Dr Charles Omole, Director-General of the Institute for Police and Security Policy Research (IPSPR), and presented in Abuja.
According to the book, the naira redesign became a major issue during the latter part of Buhari's administration, with sections of the public and political actors interpreting the policy as being directed against the ruling party ahead of the 2023 general elections.
However, the book quoted the then Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi, as explaining that the policy was linked to concerns by security agencies over the role of cash in elections.
The book stated that the proposal for the naira redesign was put forward by the then Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), with the objective of limiting the use of cash for vote-buying.
According to the account, Buhari accepted the rationale behind the proposal and approved the policy.
The book further stated that Buhari was confident that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, would win the election, and therefore did not view the policy as a threat to his party.
As controversies and accusations emerged over the intent of the naira redesign, the book said Buhari ordered an internal review of the policy's origins and implementation.
According to the author, Buhari directed that reports on the matter be submitted directly to him, citing concerns about possible misrepresentation of facts.
The book noted that Buhari maintained that law enforcement agencies should act within their mandates and that the state should not be used to favour or disadvantage any political actor.
The naira redesign policy, the book stated, was conceived as part of efforts to address the influence of money in elections rather than as a partisan political action.
APC Primaries: Buhari Never Gave Order To Install Lawan, Says Ex-IGP
An alleged attempt to deploy Nigeria's security agencies to impose a preferred candidate at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primaries in 2022 in Abuja collapsed after security chiefs insisted on direct confirmation from former President Muhammadu Buhari, according to an account by the then Inspector-General of Police (IGP).
The episode is detailed in the book From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, which recounts the IGP's version of events surrounding the APC primaries held ahead of the 2023 general elections.
According to the account, on the morning before the party's presidential convention at Eagle Square, some influential figures described as people "close to the President" approached three top security officials -- the IGP, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
They allegedly relayed what they described as a presidential "order" directing the security chiefs to deploy forces in a manner that would install then Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, as the APC's consensus presidential candidate. A meeting was even scheduled, a move the book describes as relying on proximity to power and the implied authority of uniforms to secure compliance.
The IGP, Alkali Baba, rejected the request outright, telling his colleagues he would not participate. The three security chiefs then agreed to seek an urgent audience with President Buhari to clarify the instruction.
When they were ushered into the President's office, the IGP led the engagement, first informing Buhari that security arrangements for the convention were in place. He then asked directly whether there were any further instructions.
According to the account, Buhari replied that there were none.
The IGP then carefully raised the issue that prompted the emergency meeting, noting that from his residence he could hear celebrations in the neighbourhood -- near the official guest house of the Senate President -- amid reports that Buhari had endorsed Lawan as his preferred candidate.
The President reportedly laughed and made his position clear: he had not anointed anyone.
He restated what he had consistently said in public and private -- that Nigerians, including party members, should be allowed to choose freely, and that security agencies must not interfere with the wishes of voters.
Outside the President's inner office, those who had attempted to choreograph the alleged plan were waiting.
The IGP informed them of Buhari's response, stressing that the President had no candidate and that there would be no manipulation from the Villa through the security services.
The book notes that the attempted misrepresentation collapsed at that point. It adds that the then Director-General of the DSS, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, later confirmed the account during an interview conducted for the publication.
The incident, the author argues, illustrates how individuals close to Buhari allegedly sought to exploit his trust by attributing decisions and directives to him without his knowledge. It also underscores the risks such actions posed, had security chiefs acted on what turned out to be a non-existent presidential order.
Earlier, in a meeting with security chiefs ahead of the 2023 polls, Buhari was said to have instructed them plainly that Nigerians must be allowed to vote for candidates of their choice, promising to provide the funding needed to ensure adequate security.
"There was nothing performative about the instruction," the book states, describing it as a position Buhari had taken repeatedly, even when it came at political cost to his own party.
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Buhari's Death Was Pneumonia, Not Poison -- Aisha Buhari
Former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has dismissed claims and rumours that late President Muhammadu Buhari died from poisoning, saying doctors informed the family that the immediate cause of death was pneumonia.
In her account contained in the newly released book From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha Buhari stated that there was no truth to suggestions of poison, air-conditioning sabotage, or any covert plot surrounding her husband's death, describing such narratives as fear-mongering that obscured more basic issues of health management.
According to her, medical professionals who treated the former President told the family clearly that pneumonia caused his death. She noted that while public reports at the time varied -- with some media outlets describing a prolonged illness and others reporting a brief one, and a few mentioning leukaemia -- the family relied on the doctors' direct explanation.
The book presents her testimony alongside those media summaries, without attempting to resolve competing medical interpretations.
Aisha Buhari also addressed long-standing speculation about poisoning, rejecting it "flatly". She said rumours about poison or air-conditioning plots served as a cover for mismanagement and contributed to unnecessary fear that affected Buhari's health routine.
She explained that similar misinformation had earlier trailed the President's 2017 illness, which she attributed not to poison or any mysterious ailment, but to the collapse of a carefully supervised dietary and rest regimen, combined with age and heavy workload.
"In her account," the book states, "not poison, not an arcane ailment," but exhaustion and nutritional imbalance were responsible for the health crisis that forced Buhari to seek extended medical care abroad.
The former First Lady disclosed that once a stricter schedule and nutritional supplementation were reintroduced, Buhari's condition improved, allowing him to resume work, including periods of recovery in London.
Beyond health issues, Aisha Buhari used the account to reflect on the broader challenges of governance during her husband's presidency, particularly the role of gatekeeping and access control around the President.
She said such practices often delayed processes, restricted access selectively and weakened accountability within government.
However, she stressed that her own involvement in public matters never crossed into interference. She described her role as one of oversight -- flagging bottlenecks, advocating transparency and defending the President's stated priorities -- while insisting she neither signed official memos nor awarded contracts.
On the removal of the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) in 2018, Aisha Buhari recalled that the decision followed the blockade of the National Assembly by masked operatives, an action that violated constitutional norms.
She said she supported the sacking to avert chaos and that Buhari did not oppose it, a position corroborated by open-source reports of the incident.
Reflecting on life after the presidency, Aisha Buhari said she has chosen a quieter path, focused on family and service rather than politics.
She disclosed that her foundation has established a cardiovascular and medical centre in Kano, which has carried out over 200 procedures, describing it as a practical response to Nigeria's healthcare challenges.
Asked about remarriage, she dismissed the idea with characteristic bluntness, saying the question itself reflects deeper issues of trust, capacity and the weight of public life.
