Former Presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu has revealed that the widely reported story about rats invading President Muhammadu Buhari’s office in 2017 was intentionally fabricated to shift public attention from concerns over the president’s health.
The disclosure was contained in Shehu’s newly published memoir, According to Presidential spokesperson’s Experience, launched on Tuesday by in Abuja.
In the book’s tenth’s chapter, titled “Rat Spin and All That”, Shehu recounts how the narrative was crafted as a strategic communication decision during a period of public scrutiny.
President Buhari had returned to Nigeria on August 19, 2017, after an extended medical stay in the United Kingdom. Public doubt over his health intensified after the Presidency announced that he would be working from home rather than from his official office in the Villa. This development, combined with online claims alleging that the returned Buhari was a body of double named ‘”Jibrin from Sudan” fueled widespread speculation.
Shehu said the real concern within the administration was how to handle the growing pressure from media and the public. He recounted overhearing a conversation in the office of the Chief of Staff, where a damaged cable was being discussed. Someone casually suggested that rats might have caused the damage, as the office had remained unused for several months.
Shehu said; “When the surge in calls for explanation of why the President would be working from home… came, I said to the reporters that the office, which had been in disuse needed renovation, because rats may have eaten and damaged some cables.
He acknowledge that the statement was not based on verified facts, but was deliberately crafted to deflect attention from Buhari’s health condition.
The explanation quickly went viral and was widely covered by both local and international media, including the BBC.
“I refered them to the strange rats that invaded the country in 1980’s during the rice armada… Many critics disagreed without me, saying that we were covering up the president’s ill health. Some people had good laugh… and insignificant, few believe me”, he said.
According to him, the tactics was designed to alter the narrative.
“I wanted the discussion to shift, to move to any other issue besides the president’s health and his ability to continue in office”.
However, Shehu admitted that everyone in the admistration supported his decision. He recalled being questioned by the then Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo about the strong’s validity.
“Both of them disagreed, saying that this was well off the mark”, he wrote.
In separate section of the book, Shehu also addressed criticisms that Buhari was detached from national affairs affairs, He refuted this perception, stating that the former President remain well-informed throughout his time in office.
-9News Nigeria.
