Former presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu has shed light on the infamous story about rats invading the Presidential Villa in 2017. He said that story was deliberately fabricated to divert attention from then-President Muhammadu Buhari’s health condition.
Shehu, who served as Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Buhari, made the disclosure in his newly launched book, According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesperson’s Experience, that unveiled in Abuja on Tuesday.
In the book’s Chapter 10, titled “Rats, Spin and All That,”, Shehu said he crafted the story to control the media narrative after President Buhari returned from a prolonged medical trip to the United Kingdom but opted to work from home instead of his office at the Aso Rock Villa.
“The moment Bashir Ahmad tweeted that the President would be working from home, I knew we were in trouble,” Shehu wrote. “It was important to change the subject, and fast.”
To counter public speculation and growing conspiracy theories including a viral claim by Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu that Buhari had been replaced by a Sudanese clone named “Jibrin” Shehu announced that rodents had damaged furniture and equipment in the President’s office during his absence, forcing him to operate from his official residence.
The rat story was met with widespread disbelief and mockery at the time, but it succeeded in shifting media attention away from questions about Buhari’s physical condition and fitness to lead.
Buhari had spent nearly three months in the UK receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness before returning to Nigeria on August 19, 2017. His long absence and the secrecy surrounding his health had stirred anxiety across the country.
Reflecting on the incident, Shehu admitted the tactic was part of broader media management strategies employed to defend the presidency during turbulent times.
