Mallam Garba Shehu, former spokesperson to President Muhammadu Buhari, asserted on Tuesday that the ex-president left office with his personal integrity unblemished, as “nobody can say he gave him a bribe.”
Speaking in Abuja at a press conference announcing the July 9 public presentation of his 260-page book, “According to The President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesperson’s Experience,” Shehu insisted that Buhari is currently “broke and does not have money.”
He noted a personal change since Buhari left office, stating, “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.”
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Addressing the long-standing controversy surrounding Buhari’s academic certificate, Shehu dismissed it as a “product of politics surrounding the 2015 election,” emphasizing that the matter was resolved and Buhari was cleared.
He mentioned that Buhari, who served as a military secretary, had his certificate found despite challenges that arose after a school building was reportedly burnt.
Shehu also shed light on why Buhari rarely granted press interviews during his presidency.
He described Buhari as “one of the most voracious readers in Nigeria,” who reads all newspapers daily.
However, “Buhari doesn’t speak to media because he wasn’t a showman and wanted his work to impact on the people.”
The forthcoming book, according to Shehu, documents the “rough and tough moments” of presidential communications, offering insights for students, practitioners, and researchers.
The memoir also covers Shehu’s earlier career, including his time as spokesperson for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s second term (2003-2007).
Shehu recounted the challenges he faced during that period, stating, “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.”
He revealed that Atiku “went underground” at one point, and Shehu himself faced trials, becoming a “person of interest to the security agencies, a detainee in the Department of State Service, DSS and the Kuje prison,” undergoing a court trial that spanned over two years. The book aims to offer lessons on managing relationships with media, society, courts, and law enforcement.
Reflecting on Buhari’s legacy, Shehu maintained, “People will see in due course whether Buhari did his best or not. History will be kind to Buhari.”
He highlighted that Boko Haram was a primary challenge when Buhari assumed office, and while the farmer-herder crisis was a long-standing issue from colonial times, Buhari “did his best but some Governors don’t trust him.”
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