Garba Shehu Admits Rat Story Was Cover for Buhari’s Illness
- Admin
- Jul 12
- 2 min read
Former presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu has admitted that the 2017 story about rats invading President Muhammadu Buhari’s office at the Presidential Villa was a strategic fabrication aimed at diverting public attention from the president’s health condition.
Shehu made the revelation in his newly released memoir. In Chapter 10, titled "Rats, Spin and All That," he detailed how the now-infamous narrative was crafted at a time when the presidency was under intense scrutiny due to Buhari’s prolonged medical stay in the United Kingdom.
President Buhari had returned to Nigeria on August 19, 2017, after several weeks of medical treatment abroad. His decision to work from home rather than from his official office in the Villa raised public concern and triggered a wave of speculation about his health. Rumors of a body double referred to as “Jibrin from Sudan” further fueled public anxiety.
Shehu recalled a conversation in the office of the Chief of Staff, where a damaged cable was being discussed. A passing comment was made that rats might have been responsible since the office had remained unused for some time. This casual remark later became the basis for the viral explanation.
“When the surge in calls for explanation came, I told reporters that the office, which had been unused, needed renovation because rats may have eaten and damaged some cables,” Shehu wrote.
He admitted that the statement was not based on verified facts but was strategically designed to shift the narrative away from Buhari’s health. The explanation gained immediate traction and was widely reported by both local and international media outlets, including the BBC.
“To get them off my back, I referred to the strange rats that invaded the country in the 1980s during the rice armada,” he added. “Some critics said we were covering up the president’s condition. Some laughed. A few actually believed it.”
According to Shehu, the objective was simple: to change the national conversation.
“I wanted the discussion to move to any other issue besides the president’s health and his capacity to govern.”
However, not everyone within the administration was on board with the move. Shehu recalled being questioned by then Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, both of whom expressed disapproval of the fabricated story.
In another chapter of the book, “The Muhammadu Buhari Persona,” Shehu defended the former president against claims that he was detached from national affairs. He described Buhari as someone who was deeply engaged and informed, routinely reading multiple newspapers and keeping up with news via radio and television.
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