How My Father’s Signatures Were Forged, and Our Life Under Surveillance — Fatima Buhari Reveals
Fatima Buhari, daughter of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, has claimed that her father’s signature was forged on official documents during his presidency. Her revelations are detailed in From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, a biography by Charles Omole. Fatima, a forensic auditor, said she examined certain documents and identified signatures that had been falsely attributed to her father. She noted that others had also raised concerns about forged signatures during his tenure. The book notes that Fatima emphasized this issue was not unique to Buhari’s administration, pointing out that previous governments had faced similar challenges. She also highlighted cases where presidential speeches and directives were altered after approval. One incident recounted in the biography occurred during a U.S. visit, when Buhari spoke at a small conference. Fatima observed that the speech he read was different from what he had approved. “You were stopping,” she told him. He quietly explained that the text had been modified but proceeded to speak in his own words. The biography explains that such alterations—directives diluted, statements rephrased, and intentions subtly changed—were common, sometimes due to bureaucratic errors and at other times orchestrated by a small clique. Fatima also disclosed that her father suspected his official residence at the State House was being wiretapped. She described how they often communicated in writing rather than verbally to avoid eavesdropping. “A daughter and her father sit quietly together. He makes a small gesture, touching his cheek as if he has a toothache, and signals that they shouldn’t speak aloud. He believes ‘they’ have a listening device planted in his office,” the book reads. Security officials who served under Buhari reportedly confirmed finding unusual devices in the president’s office and residence during routine sweeps. The biography portrays a presidency and family navigating an environment of heightened security concerns while safeguarding the authenticity of presidential communications.