Fatima Buhari, daughter of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, has alleged that her father’s signature was forged on official documents during his time in office.
The claims are contained in From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, a biography written by Charles Omole. In the book, Fatima, who is a forensic auditor, said she examined certain documents and later showed her father examples of signatures that were not his.
According to the account, Fatima noted that similar concerns about forged signatures had also been raised by others during Buhari’s presidency. She added that the issue was not unique to her father’s administration, explaining that previous governments had faced comparable challenges.
The book further quotes her as saying that there were instances where Buhari’s speeches and official directives were altered after he had already given approval.
One passage recounts an incident during a trip to the United States, where Buhari delivered a speech at a small conference. Fatima, who was in the audience, later remarked that he appeared to hesitate unusually while reading. Buhari reportedly told her afterward that the speech text he was given was not the version he had approved. According to the book, such alterations were not uncommon, and on that occasion, he abandoned the prepared text and spoke extemporaneously.
The biography describes this pattern as a recurring problem, with instructions being diluted, statements reworded, and intentions subtly changed as documents moved through bureaucratic channels. While some of these issues were attributed to inefficiencies within a large system, the book suggests that others were the actions of a small, powerful group.
Additionally, the book reveals that Buhari believed his office and residence at the State House were under surveillance. It states that he sometimes communicated silently with Fatima, using gestures or written notes, out of fear that conversations were being monitored.
According to the author, some security officials who served under Buhari also confirmed that unusual objects were occasionally discovered in the president’s office and bedroom during routine security checks.
