By Comfort Osaretin
The final days of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari were deeply traumatic for his family due to prolonged health challenges following the completion of his eight-year tenure, according to his wife, Dr. Aisha Buhari.
Buhari, who was in his eighties after completing two terms in office, battled serious illness in the months leading up to his death. In the biography From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari by Dr. Charles Omole, Aisha Buhari provided a detailed and emotional account of his final moments.
“The final days were difficult. ICU for some days, then the ward, then the slide. The last three days were the worst,” she recounted.
According to her, life after Buhari left office was marked by constant travel and loss. “After leaving office, in his final year before passing, phone calls increased and transatlantic trips became more frequent. The family’s calendar was filled with funerals and flights,” the book quoted her as saying.
She explained that Buhari had travelled to the United Kingdom for dental treatment and rest, a routine he often followed, while she remained in Abuja mourning a nephew. She later joined him in London, only to return to Nigeria again after the death of an uncle.
Aisha Buhari attributed her husband’s declining health to a lifetime of physical exposure during his military service, combined with age and earlier smoking habits. She said years spent serving as a soldier in harsh weather conditions likely weakened his lungs, with prolonged exposure to cold environments worsening his condition. Pneumonia, she said, was the final illness.
The biography detailed how Buhari’s children took turns staying with him in the hospital, with one daughter spending the night before his death at his bedside. Doctors diagnosed acute pneumonia, a conclusion that sparked public speculation and rumors about cancer or leukemia.
Addressing the rumors, Aisha Buhari insisted that pneumonia was the official diagnosis. She acknowledged that lung-related cancers can sometimes resemble pneumonia in scans but maintained that her husband was not treated for cancer.
“Pneumonia can be fatal, especially in old age and after a lifetime of exposure to cold and dust,” she said, noting that Buhari had always suffered from a persistent cough.
She also criticized poor communication during Buhari’s illness, saying a lack of clear information fueled conspiracy theories. The book echoed this view, identifying weak strategic communication as one of the shortcomings of the Buhari administration.
“Rumors took on a life of their own. Nigerians did not know what to believe, and that fog of communication lasted until the very end,” Aisha said.
Following Buhari’s death, she revealed that the presidency’s firm control over burial arrangements helped prevent chaos and internal power struggles. She denied having any intention of revenge against former aides or associates, emphasizing that neither she nor her son sought conflict.
“The state’s management of the burial logistics stabilized the process and prevented further embarrassment,” she said.
Reflecting on life in Aso Rock, Aisha Buhari described the Presidential Villa as an ecosystem filled with relatives, aides, and power brokers, some of whom attempted to sideline her.
“This is my house. You cannot be in charge of my husband’s office and also try to be in charge of me in my own home,” she stated.
Her account offers rare, intimate insight into Buhari’s final days, the personal cost of leadership, and the challenges faced by families of those in power.
