Former First Lady Aisha Buhari has said powerful figures around her late husband, President Muhammadu Buhari, pushed her out during his time in office.

She said their influence ran so deep that Buhari began locking his bedroom door to keep her away.

She also said Buhari lived with long-term malnutrition, which worsened after aides disrupted a nutrition routine she had managed for years.

These claims appear in From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, a book by Dr. Charles Omole. The book was launched Monday at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.

“They Polluted His Mind”

In the book, Aisha Buhari said members of the president’s inner circle fed him fear and suspicion. Over time, he began to believe claims that she wanted to harm him.

“He started locking his room,” she recalled. “He also changed small habits.”

She described the period as painful and isolating. More importantly, she said the choices that followed hurt his health.

Nutrition Routine Disrupted

Aisha Buhari said Buhari’s 2017 health crisis did not come from poisoning or any hidden illness. Instead, she linked it to the breakdown of a nutrition system she had supervised long before he became president.

Before moving to Aso Villa, she managed his diet in Kaduna. The routine included vitamins, supplements, and carefully timed meals to address signs of malnutrition.

After Buhari assumed office, she said she met with his physician, chief security officer, housekeeper, and the director-general of the Department of State Services. During the meeting, she outlined a clear plan.

Meals would come at fixed times. Supplements would remain constant. Small protein additions would support his strength.

“Elderly bodies need steady care,” she explained.

Meals Missed, Supplements Stopped

However, the plan soon fell apart.

According to her account, aides delayed meals. They stopped the supplements. Eventually, lunch vanished from Buhari’s daily routine.

“For one year, he did not have lunch,” she said.

Buhari, who already ate lightly, began to lose weight. Still, she rejected claims of poisoning. She blamed poor nutrition management after aides sidelined her.

‘He Became State Property’

Later, Aisha Buhari said officials told her Buhari was no longer just her husband. They described him as “state property.”

As a result, they pushed her aside and took over decisions about his care. She said those involved failed to understand his medical needs.

“They mismanaged his meals,” she said.

London Doctors Backed Her Claims

When Buhari traveled to London for treatment, Aisha Buhari said doctors there prescribed a stronger supplement routine than the one she had used before.

To her, that confirmed the real problem.

“There was no poison,” she said. “There was no strange fever. His nutrition failed him.”