Former First Lady, Dr. Aisha Buhari, has revealed how a powerful cabal operating within the Presidential Villa attempted to force her and her children out of Aso Rock during the administration of her late husband, former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The revelations are contained in a new biography titled “From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari”, authored by Dr. Charles Omole and launched at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja. President Bola Tinubu and the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, were among dignitaries at the event.
According to the book, Aisha Buhari disclosed that influential individuals living within the Villa, alongside their wives and grandchildren, exploited President Buhari’s fondness for extended family members and old associates to manipulate him, often to the detriment of his administration’s objectives.
She described Aso Rock not just as a residence but as an “ecosystem” that gradually became overcrowded with relatives, aides and power brokers who mastered behind-the-scenes influence.
“They tried to push everybody out, including me,” she was quoted as saying. “This is my house. You can live wherever you want, but you cannot be in charge of my husband’s office and also attempt to be in charge of me, his wife, inside my own home.”
The book explained that during Buhari’s first term, most of his children were studying and living abroad, creating a vacuum that was filled by extended family members who occupied several residences within the Villa. Their presence, coupled with the influence of close aides and loyalists, created room for manipulation.
Aisha Buhari identified one of the administration’s major weaknesses as the failure to decisively remove non-performing officials, a flaw she said she repeatedly raised with her husband.
She reportedly warned President Tinubu not to repeat the same mistake, stressing that hesitation in enforcing accountability weakens governance.
According to her account, Buhari’s reluctance to sack underperforming appointees was influenced by several factors, including ageing, sympathy for struggling officials, and fear of public backlash.
She quoted him as saying that removing certain officials could lead to accusations of dictatorship, a label he was keen to avoid following his military past.
That fear, she argued, became a cover for mediocrity, allowing ineffective officials to remain in office even when policy implementation stalled. The familiar excuse of “the devil you know” was repeatedly used to justify inaction.
Aisha Buhari said her personal standard was straightforward: any official who misused public resources but delivered at least 50 per cent performance could be tolerated, but anyone who “ate” and failed to deliver should be removed without hesitation.
The book further revealed that family members quietly acknowledged that Buhari’s refusal to sack non-performers became a structural weakness of his administration. This was worsened, she said, by advisers and relatives who used flattery, emotional pressure and delay tactics to shield themselves from accountability.
She also recounted an incident where security officials suggested she temporarily leave Abuja for Daura to allow investigations into certain close associates to proceed unhindered. She refused the suggestion.
Shortly after, she noticed a visible emotional withdrawal from Buhari, marked by reduced communication and appetite.
Even after leaving office, Aisha Buhari claimed her husband privately appealed to President Tinubu not to investigate some of his relatives, as he still depended on them for personal support.
For her, the episode underscored the dangers of emotional dependence at the highest levels of power and the cost it can impose on effective leadership.
Aisha Buhari: How Powerful Villa Cabal Tried to Push Me Out of Aso Rock
