Former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has dismissed persistent rumours surrounding the death of her late husband, former President Muhammadu Buhari, firmly rejecting claims of poisoning or assassination.
In a newly released biography titled From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha Buhari said the family relied strictly on the official medical explanation provided by doctors who treated the former president.
According to the book, she debunked allegations ranging from poisoning to air-conditioning sabotage and covert plots, describing such narratives as distractions that ignored Buhari’s genuine health challenges. She stated that medical professionals clearly informed the family that pneumonia was responsible for his death.
“The medical professionals clearly informed the family that pneumonia caused his death,” Aisha Buhari said.
Aisha Buhari also addressed similar rumours that surrounded Buhari’s prolonged illness in 2017, explaining that his condition at the time was due to exhaustion, advancing age, a heavy workload and the collapse of a carefully managed diet and rest routine. She noted that his health improved significantly after stricter schedules and nutritional support were reintroduced.
Beyond health-related matters, the former First Lady reflected on governance issues during Buhari’s presidency, criticising what she described as gatekeeping practices that limited access to the president and weakened accountability within government.
She maintained that her role while in office was strictly advisory and advocacy-based, stressing that she neither signed official documents nor awarded contracts during her husband’s tenure.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari died on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at a clinic in London at the age of 82. His death was announced by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, and later confirmed by President Bola Tinubu’s office. He was laid to rest in Daura, Katsina State, on Tuesday, July 15, 2025.
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