A spokesperson to the former President Muhammadu Buhari, Mallam Garba Shehu, has said that his principal left office without amassing wealth and with his integrity untouched.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday after a press briefing to announce the public presentation of his upcoming book, ‘According to The President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesperson’s Experience’, Shehu stressed that Buhari never collected bribes during his time in office and has no hidden fortune to his name.
“Buhari is broke and does not have money,” Shehu declared. “Since Buhari left office, no journalist has called me to say, ‘we’re going to press’ and want my reaction. I now sleep very well.”
Shehu, who served as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity throughout Buhari’s presidency, said the 260-page book chronicles the “rough and tough moments” of working in the nation’s highest office. He noted that it was also intended as a resource for students, media practitioners, and political researchers.
On Buhari’s much-criticised aloofness from the press, Shehu defended his principal, describing him as a deeply private and intellectual figure.
“Buhari is one of the most voracious readers in Nigeria. He reads all newspapers. He asks for newspapers every morning,” Shehu said. “Buhari doesn’t speak to media because he wasn’t a showman and wanted his work to impact on the people.”
He also addressed lingering controversies over Buhari’s academic qualifications, saying the uproar over his certificate was politically motivated and had long been resolved.
“I didn’t go there [in the book] because it was a matter that had been resolved,” Shehu explained. “Buhari was a product of politics and was cleared because the certificate was found. He was a military secretary. The allegation was a product of politics. Government College, Katsina was burnt. Some officers were punished for being used by politicians.”
Shehu expressed hope that history would judge Buhari’s time in office more fairly.
“People will see in due course whether Buhari did his best or not. History will be kind to Buhari,” he said. “When he came in, the big issue for him was Boko Haram. Farmers and herders crisis has been an old crisis from colonial times. He did his best but some governors don’t trust him.”
The forthcoming book also covers Shehu’s earlier experiences as spokesperson to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s second term (2003–2007). He detailed how political tensions within the presidency put his life at risk.
“During his second term of office, President Obasanjo declared war on his vice president in a major crisis that sent threats – including the fear of death – flying around,” Shehu recounted. “At some point, the VP himself went underground as you would read it in the book.”
According to him, the book also narrates his ordeal as a person of interest to security agencies, including stints at the Department of State Services (DSS), detention in Kuje Prison, and his two-year trial in court.
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