Former First Lady, Dr. Aisha Buhari, has revealed that her late husband, former President Muhammadu Buhari, battled long-term malnutrition which significantly affected his health during his time in office. She also alleged that powerful individuals around the president poisoned his mind against her, creating suspicion that strained their relationship and disrupted the care she had long provided him.
These revelations are contained in a new book, From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, written by Dr. Charles Omole and unveiled on Monday at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.
According to the book, Aisha Buhari dismissed speculations that her husband’s 2017 health crisis was the result of a mysterious illness or a hidden plot. Instead, she traced it to the breakdown of a carefully managed nutrition routine she had overseen for years, even before Buhari became president.
She explained that Buhari’s health had been stable largely because of a strict dietary system involving meals and supplements she personally supervised in Kaduna. However, once they moved into Aso Villa, that routine was disrupted. The book recounts how she met with Buhari’s personal aides, including his physician, the Chief Security Officer, the housekeeper and even the Director-General of the DSS, to explain the importance of maintaining that regimen.
Aisha reportedly laid out a detailed plan involving scheduled meals, vitamin powders, oils and balanced nutrition, stressing that elderly bodies require consistent and gentle care. She also explained that Buhari had struggled with symptoms of malnutrition for many years and that supplements had helped balance his dietary needs.
However, she claimed the situation soon changed after rumours and fear-mongering began. According to her account, some of the same aides allegedly planted suspicions in Buhari’s mind, accusing her of trying to harm him. Though she recalled this with more pain than anger, she said the consequences were serious.
She noted that Buhari briefly believed the claims and began changing his habits, including locking his room to keep her out. The kitchen routine collapsed, meals were delayed or skipped, and the supplements she had relied on for years were stopped.
Aisha Buhari said her husband, who was naturally slender and ate little even in good health, began losing weight rapidly. At one point, she claimed, he went an entire year without taking lunch.
The book further quoted her as saying Buhari had lived with malnutrition for over six years before moving into the Villa, and that her dietary management had kept him strong. But once she was told that Buhari was now “state property” and no longer just her husband, her role in managing his health was sidelined.
She stressed that Buhari was not poisoned, countering rumours that circulated at the time, and said there was no strange fever involved. Rather, his health deteriorated because his nutrition was poorly managed. When he was eventually flown to London for treatment, she noted that doctors prescribed an even stronger supplement regime than the one she had been administering.
Aisha Buhari’s account offers a deeply personal insight into the former president’s health challenges and the internal dynamics that, she believes, worsened his condition during his years in power.
