Buhari’s Health Was The Real Issue, Not Rats – Shehu Sani Drops Bombshell On Aso Villa Cover-Up

This revelation is contained in Shehu’s newly published memoir, “According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesperson’s Experience,” which was unveiled Tuesday in Abuja.

In a chapter titled “Rats, Spin and All That,” Shehu details how the bizarre rat story was intentionally used as a diversion during a politically delicate period.

President Buhari had returned to Nigeria on August 19, 2017, following an extended medical stay in the UK. Upon his return, tension gripped the nation as questions about his health intensified. Instead of resuming duties in his Aso Villa office, Buhari opted to work from home — a decision that fueled rumors and conspiracy theories, including the infamous “Jibrin from Sudan” narrative promoted by IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu.

Amid this chaos, the rat story was born.

Shehu recalled that during an informal discussion in the Chief of Staff’s office about a faulty cable in the disused presidential office, someone joked that rats might have chewed through the wiring. Seizing the moment, Shehu spun the story to reporters.

“In response to mounting demands for clarification on why the president would be working from home, I told reporters the office required renovation because rats had possibly damaged some cables,” Shehu recounted.

He admitted it was pure media spin — not based on any factual assessment.

“To deflect the pressure, I even referred to the mysterious rat invasion of the 1980s during the rice armada era,” he added. “Critics accused us of covering up Buhari’s health problems. Some found it amusing, a few believed it, but the aim was to change the narrative.”

And for a while, it did. The unusual image of rats chasing a president out of office grabbed global headlines, including coverage by the BBC — inadvertently helping to shift the national conversation.

However, Shehu confessed that not everyone in the presidency was amused. Both then-Minister of Information Lai Mohammed and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo reportedly objected to the tactic, questioning its credibility.

“I simply wanted to shift the focus away from Buhari’s health and whether he was fit to remain in office,” Shehu wrote candidly.