Fatima Buhari has alleged that her father’s signature was forged and his speeches altered without approval during his presidency, according to a new biography
Buhari’s Daughter Alleges Forged Signatures, Altered Speeches in Explosive Biography
Fresh revelations have emerged about the inner workings of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, following claims by his daughter, Fatima Buhari, that her father’s signature was forged on official documents and that some of his directives and speeches were altered without his consent while he was in office.
The allegations are contained in From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, a new biography written by Charles Omole.
According to the book, Fatima Buhari, a forensic auditor, examined several official documents attributed to her father and identified what she described as forged presidential signatures. She reportedly brought the discrepancies to Buhari’s attention after concluding that the signatures did not match his authentic sign-off patterns.
The biography notes that concerns about falsified presidential documents were not raised by Fatima alone, as others within the government system had also reportedly flagged similar issues during Buhari’s tenure.
Fatima, however, is quoted as saying that the problem was not exclusive to her father’s administration, adding that similar bureaucratic challenges had occurred under previous governments.
Beyond alleged signature forgery, the book also claims that some of Buhari’s approved speeches and official directives were altered before being delivered or released to the public.
In one striking incident recounted in the biography, Buhari was said to have discovered—while attending a conference in the United States—that the speech he was reading was not the version he had approved.
Realising mid-delivery that the text had been changed, the former president reportedly abandoned the prepared script and spoke extemporaneously, relying on his own words.
The author described these incidents as part of a wider pattern in which presidential instructions were allegedly “diluted in transit,” rephrased to serve other interests, or subtly reshaped as documents passed through layers of official bureaucracy.
While some of the lapses were attributed to the sheer size and complexity of the federal system, the book suggested that a small clique within government may have been responsible for deliberate alterations.
The biography further revealed that Buhari believed his official residence at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, was under surveillance.
According to the account, the former president sometimes avoided speaking freely in his office, opting instead to communicate through handwritten notes, out of fear that listening devices had been planted.
The author added that some security chiefs who served under Buhari allegedly confirmed that unusual objects were discovered in the president’s office and bedroom during routine security sweeps, reinforcing his suspicions.
The revelations provide a rare and deeply personal glimpse into the behind-the-scenes dynamics of Buhari’s presidency, raising renewed questions about internal controls, document integrity, and the influence of unelected actors within Nigeria’s highest seat of power.
