Garba Shehu: Rat infestation story was fabricated to cover Buhari’s illness

Former presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, has disclosed that the 2017 story about rats invading President Muhammadu Buhari’s office was intentionally fabricated to divert public attention from concerns over the president’s health.

The revelation is contained in Shehu’s newly released memoir, according to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesperson’s Experience, launched in Abuja on Tuesday.

In Chapter 10, titled “Rats, Spin and All That,” Shehu explains how the narrative was crafted during a tense period of public scrutiny following Buhari’s return from a prolonged medical stay in the UK.

When President Buhari returned on August 19, 2017, he was reported to be working from home instead of his official office, sparking speculation about his health.

Rumours intensified amid conspiracy theories, including claims from IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu that a body double had replaced Buhari.

Amid growing media pressure, Shehu said the Presidency needed a diversion. Recalling a casual office conversation about damaged cables, someone mentioned that rats might have been responsible since the office had remained unused for months.

Seizing on the suggestion, Shehu told reporters that the office needed renovation because rats had possibly eaten some cables.

“It wasn’t based on verified facts,” Shehu admitted, “but it served the purpose — to steer the conversation away from the president’s health.”

The statement gained massive traction, making headlines both locally and internationally, including coverage by the BBC.

“Some laughed, others criticized, and a few actually believed it,” Shehu wrote.

“But the goal was to change the conversation, and in that, it worked.”

However, the move was not without internal backlash.

Shehu revealed that then Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo questioned the accuracy of the claim and disagreed with the approach.

Elsewhere in the book, Shehu addressed criticisms of Buhari’s perceived detachment from national issues.

In Chapter 6, “The Muhammadu Buhari Persona,” he portrayed the former president as deeply engaged and informed, noting that Buhari regularly read newspapers and followed the news on radio and TV.

“The delivery of his newspapers each morning was a routine — whether in Abuja or Daura,” Shehu noted, adding that a driver would even travel to Kano from Daura to purchase the papers.

Despite his interest in national affairs, Shehu said Buhari disliked publicity and avoided media appearances.

“He had a disdain for public exposure — whether in front of a still or video camera,” he wrote.e

The memoir sheds new light on the strategic communications that shaped Buhari’s presidency and reveals behind-the-scenes efforts to manage public perception during challenging times.