Aisha Buhari: Fear of ‘Dictator’ Label Kept Wrong Appointees in Buhari’s Government

Aisha Buhari, widow of former President Muhammadu Buhari, has said her late husband retained several underperforming appointees throughout his eight years in office out of fear of being branded a dictator.

She made the revelation in a book titled From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, written by Dr Charles Omole and presented at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday, December 16.

In her account, Aisha Buhari recalled that shortly after Buhari assumed office, noticeable changes took place within the Presidential Villa. She said many individuals who had stood by him during his years in opposition gradually disappeared from the corridors of power, noting that familiar faces were “locked out,” with their names allegedly recorded by security operatives and reported elsewhere.

According to her, repeated private interventions yielded no results, prompting her to speak out publicly. She described a widening disconnect between campaign promises and governance, writing that while Buhari’s long-time supporters were pushed aside, technocrats and loyalists of other interests dominated the administration.

She further noted that some individuals close to the former president were more interested in personal benefits than public service. “Some followed him to obtain material things—money, access and contracts—and could not distinguish between power as responsibility and the rewards that proximity provides,” she said.

Aisha Buhari added that these internal dynamics led to visible consequences within the presidency, including shifting schedules, exclusion of trusted allies, rumours of forged signatures and an atmosphere of suspicion.

She attributed Buhari’s reluctance to reshuffle his team to concerns about public perception, stating that his fear of being labelled authoritarian prevented him from dismissing officials who failed to meet expectations.

Summing up her assessment of the administration, she concluded: “He had the wrong people in the right places, and he didn’t change them for eight years.”