Aisha Buhari Opens Up on Buhari’s Final Year: “Our Calendar Was Filled With Funerals”

Aisha Buhari Opens Up on Buhari’s Final Year: “Our Calendar Was Filled With Funerals”

Former First Lady, Dr. Aisha Buhari, has offered an intimate account of the final months of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, revealing that the period following his exit from office was emotionally draining for the family, marked by frequent bereavements and relentless travel.

Aisha’s reflections are contained in “From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari”, a new biography authored by Dr. Charles Omole.

In the book, she describes the former President’s last year as a time when “phone calls increased and transatlantic trips became more frequent,” adding that the family’s calendar “was filled with funerals and flights.”

According to her, Buhari, who completed two terms in office in his eighties, battled serious health challenges in his final days. “The final days were difficult. ICU for some days, then the ward, then the slide. The last three days were the worst,” she recalled.

She recounted how Buhari had travelled to the United Kingdom, as he often did, initially for dental treatment and to enjoy the summer weather. While he was away, she remained in Abuja mourning a nephew, returned to London to be with him, and then had to travel back to Nigeria again following the death of an uncle—episodes that underscored the grief-filled nature of the period.

Aisha attributed her husband’s declining health to a combination of age, earlier lifestyle choices, and the long-term effects of his military career.

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She recalled his 30 months as a soldier in the bush during the civil war, often soaked by rain in uniforms that dried on his body, believing the prolonged exposure to cold and harsh conditions later took a toll on his lungs and bones. Pneumonia, she said, was his final battle.

The book narrates the family’s vigil in hospital corridors, with Buhari’s children taking turns to stay by his side. One daughter, Aisha revealed, spent the night before his death with him. Doctors eventually diagnosed acute pneumonia, a conclusion that did little to satisfy public curiosity and speculation.

Addressing rumors that Buhari may have died of cancer, Aisha was unequivocal. “The official diagnosis we received was pneumonia,” she insisted, dismissing reports of lung cancer, leukemia, or pulmonary lymphoma as misinterpretations of leaked symptoms and incomplete medical information.

She offered vivid details of his final hours: the careful repositioning of pillows to ease his breathing, shared prayers, light banter, X-rays taken repeatedly, and fleeting optimism when test results ruled out more ominous diagnoses.

At about 2 p.m., she said she left the hospital briefly to rest and pray, but felt an unexplained urgency to return. By the time she did, his breathing had changed. He died around 4 p.m.

Beyond the personal loss, Aisha also reflected on what she described as persistent communication failures during Buhari’s presidency.

The biography notes that poor strategic communication often allowed minor developments to snowball into major conspiracies. “Nigerians did not know what to believe. This fog of communication persisted until the very end,” she said.

She further disclosed tensions that followed Buhari’s death, alleging that some long-standing associates feared losing influence and attempted to assert control.

According to her, the presidency’s firm handling of burial arrangements prevented further complications. “The state’s management of the burial logistics stabilized the ritual and limited opportunities for mischief,” she noted, stressing that neither she nor her son sought confrontation.

Aisha also revisited earlier crises within Aso Rock, describing the Villa as “an ecosystem” where relatives, courtiers, and staff struggled for influence.

“This is my house,” she said pointedly. “You cannot be in charge of my husband’s office and then also be in charge of me, his wife, inside my house.”

Her account, tender yet unflinching, adds a deeply personal layer to the public story of Muhammadu Buhari, shedding light on his final days, the weight of power, and the human cost borne by those closest to him.

 

Aisha Buhari Opens Up on Buhari’s Final Year: “Our Calendar Was Filled With Funerals”