Former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has said that the health crisis which kept her husband, former President Muhammadu Buhari, away from office for 154 days in 2017 was caused by a breakdown in his feeding routine and poor nutritional management, not poisoning or a mysterious illness.

Mrs Buhari made the disclosure in a newly released biography titled From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, written by Dr Charles Omole and unveiled at the State House on Monday.

The 600-page book, spanning 22 chapters, traces Buhari’s life from his childhood in Daura, Katsina State, to his final days at a London hospital in July 2025.

According to the book, Mrs Buhari had for years personally supervised her husband’s meals and supplements, maintaining a strict regimen she said was necessary for a man with a history of malnutrition.

“He doesn’t have a chronic illness. Keep him on schedule,” the former First Lady was quoted as saying, stressing that elderly bodies require consistent and carefully managed nutrition.

Omole wrote that the crisis began after the couple moved from Kaduna to Aso Rock, where the former First Lady’s long-standing oversight of Buhari’s feeding routine was disrupted.

“It did not begin as a mysterious ailment or a covert plot,” the book stated. “According to Aisha Buhari, it started with the loss of a routine — ‘my nutrition,’ as she called it.”

Mrs Buhari reportedly convened a meeting with key aides, including the President’s physician, Dr Suhayb Rafindadi; the Chief Security Officer, Bashir Abubakar; the housekeeper; and the Director-General of the State Security Service, to outline Buhari’s dietary plan.

She described a daily regimen of meals and supplements taken at specific hours, including vitamin powders, oils, proteins and cereals tailored to his needs.

However, the routine eventually collapsed amid rumours and suspicion.

“Then came the gossip and the fearmongering. They said I wanted to kill him,” Mrs Buhari was quoted as saying.

She revealed that Buhari briefly believed the allegations, began isolating himself, and stopped adhering to his feeding schedule.

“For about a year, he did not have lunch. They mismanaged his meals,” she said, adding that supplements were delayed or completely discontinued.

The deterioration in his health culminated in two prolonged medical trips to the United Kingdom in 2017, during which Buhari transferred presidential powers to then Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Upon his return, Buhari admitted he had “never been so ill” and disclosed that he had received blood transfusions.

Omole noted that the prolonged absences fuelled widespread speculation, conspiracy theories and rumours, including claims of poisoning and the existence of a body double.

Mrs Buhari firmly dismissed the poisoning narrative, insisting that the illness was rooted in nutritional neglect.

In London, doctors reportedly placed Buhari on a more intensive supplement regimen. Initially reluctant, he later responded positively after his wife took charge of administering the treatment.

“After three days, he discarded the walking stick. After a week, he was receiving visitors,” the book quoted her as saying.

According to Omole, critics viewed Buhari’s reliance on foreign medical care as evidence of Nigeria’s failing health system. However, he argued that a more compassionate view recognises the limitations of local healthcare after decades of underinvestment, particularly for elderly patients requiring specialised treatment.

The author also praised Buhari’s decision to consistently hand over power to his deputy during medical absences, describing it as a demonstration of institutional responsibility.

The book further revealed an atmosphere of mistrust within the Presidency, with Mrs Buhari alleging surveillance, office bugging and the playback of private conversations — developments she claimed deepened fear and psychological strain.

She also dismissed long-standing rumours that Buhari was replaced by a body double, popularly known as “Jibril of Sudan,” attributing such conspiracy theories to poor government communication.