Fatima Buhari, daughter of late former President Muhammadu Buhari, has explained why her father found it difficult to distance himself from his nephew and longtime associate, Mamman Daura, despite repeated concerns about Daura’s influence during his presidency.
She spoke in a new book titled “From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari,” written by Dr Charles Omole, Director General of the Institute for Police and Security Policy Research.
The book was presented in Abuja on Monday.
According to Fatima, the relationship between Buhari and Daura was rooted in family ties and years of shared history rather than politics.
She said Daura’s father and Buhari shared the same mother, making them brothers in the African sense.
“Mamman Daura’s father shared the same mother as my father,” she said.
She explained that the bond was built over decades, from their early years around Dodan Barracks to Buhari’s time in office and was strengthened by trust and loyalty.
Fatima said Buhari was often aware of complaints about Daura but struggled to completely sever the relationship.
“Baba will personally tell us that he did this, he did that to him, but he’s still with him,” she recalled.
The book also reveals that Daura remained close to Buhari during his detention after the 1985 military coup.
Fatima said family members were denied access at the time, while Daura was allowed regular visits.
“We were not allowed to see him. Only Mamman had access. I kept asking myself, ‘Why was it always Mamman between Baba and the family?’” she said.
She said Buhari’s sense of loyalty, gratitude and family obligation shaped his decisions, even when the closeness created problems.
According to her, some people took advantage of his reluctance to embarrass or publicly dismiss others.
Fatima said that as Buhari grew older and more religious, he became more cautious about ending relationships.
“He understands the web of relationships; parents, spouses, histories and he doesn’t want to break hope,” she said.
She added that once Buhari trusted someone, it was difficult for him to withdraw that trust without strong proof.
Even when evidence existed, she said he preferred private warnings to public action.
“Before he realises it, that person has committed many atrocities,” she said, noting that Buhari did not enjoy humiliating people.
Fatima’s comments also revive memories of the public feud between the Buhari family and the Daura family during his presidency.
The disagreement became public after a video surfaced online in which the former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, was heard complaining about being locked out of a room in the Presidential Villa and demanding that some people vacate the apartment.
The video was recorded by Fatima, daughter of Mamman Daura, who accused Aisha of attacking her at the Villa.
On her return from a trip to the United Kingdom in October 2019, Aisha confirmed in a BBC Hausa audio clip that she was the person in the video.
She accused Daura’s daughter of recording the incident while security personnel did nothing.
Aisha later apologised to her children, family members and the public over the incident.
The clash sparked public debate, with some lawyers and commentators describing it as damaging to the presidency, while others maintained it was a family matter.
