Garba Shehu, former media aide to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has dismissed claims that his former boss was disconnected from the realities of governance, asserting that Buhari remained actively informed about national and global developments throughout his tenure.
Speaking during the launch of his book titled “According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesperson’s Experience” on Tuesday in Abuja, Shehu revealed several behind-the-scenes insights, including his own fabrication of the now-infamous “Villa rat invasion” story.
According to him, the tale was crafted to divert public attention from rising concerns about Buhari’s health and leadership capacity.
During Buhari’s presidency (2015–2023), his response “I am not aware” to a journalist’s security-related question became a recurring phrase used by critics to portray him as out of touch.
However, Shehu challenges that narrative in Chapter 6 of his book, “The Muhammadu Buhari Persona,” arguing that the former president was highly conscious of current events.
Shehu wrote that Buhari started each day with a thorough review of more than a dozen newspapers, which were delivered to him daily regardless of his location. In fact, a driver routinely traveled from Daura to Kano — a two-hour journey — just to collect the newspapers.
That routine, Shehu noted, continues even after Buhari left office.
“Buhari is a publicly aware person,” Shehu stated. “While in office, he consistently kept up with news reports and global developments.
He read even the smallest mentions of his administration and watched television or listened to the radio with keen interest.”
Despite his deep engagement with news and governance, Shehu noted that Buhari generally avoided the spotlight and showed little interest in public appearances or media coverage.