A newly launched biography of late former President Muhammadu Buhari has revealed explosive details of a failed plot by influential aides to manipulate the 2022 All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primaries.

According to the book, aides attempted to forge directives to Nigeria’s top security chiefs in order to impose then-Senate President Ahmad Lawan as the party’s “consensus” candidate.

The revelations come from From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, authored by Dr. Charles Omole and unveiled Monday at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja. The high-profile launch drew President Bola Tinubu, Gambian President Adama Barrow, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, governors, traditional rulers, former First Lady Aisha Buhari, and senior officials.

The book recounts that on the eve of the June 2022 APC convention, aides claiming to act on Buhari’s authority approached the Inspector-General of Police Usman Alkali Baba, the Director-General of the DSS, and the Director-General of the NIA with instructions to deploy forces to guarantee Lawan’s emergence. Baba rejected the directive, consulted his counterparts, and sought direct clarification from Buhari. The president denied issuing any such orders, reportedly laughed when told that Lawan’s camp had already begun celebrating, and reaffirmed his position: he had no preferred candidate and insisted Nigerians must choose freely without security interference.

Omole frames the incident as evidence of Buhari’s principled refusal to abuse state institutions, portraying him as a leader who resisted manipulation by close aides. The biography also sheds light on other power struggles within the Villa. It highlights Aisha Buhari’s decisive role in the 2018 sacking of DSS boss Lawal Daura by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, a decision Buhari declined to reverse despite pressure. It also recounts a family dispute that escalated to gunfire within the Villa, prompting Buhari to order the removal of an involved nephew, declaring that blood ties would not shield misconduct.

By separating “the man from the myths,” Omole argues that Buhari’s legacy is one of restraint, even amid misrepresentation by those around him. The revelations underscore the tensions of the 2022 primaries, where Buhari’s neutrality ultimately paved the way for Tinubu’s victory over Lawan and Rotimi Amaechi.

The biography thus positions Buhari as a leader who, despite controversies and criticisms, refused to bend state institutions to personal or factional interests, leaving behind a legacy defined as much by what he resisted as by what he pursued.