Garba Shehu, who served as the spokesperson for former President Muhammadu Buhari, has admitted that the story about rats damaging Buhari’s office in 2017 was made up. He revealed this in his new memoir, explaining that it was a strategy to take the public’s focus away from Buhari’s health problems at the time.

In Chapter 10 of his book, titled “Rats, Spin and All That,” Shehu explained how the story was created during a tense period when the public was worried about the president’s health. He said the story was part of a communication plan to manage the situation and reduce public pressure.

Back in August 2017, President Buhari returned to Nigeria after spending a long time in the United Kingdom for medical treatment. When it was announced that he would be working from home instead of his office in the Presidential Villa, it led to more concern from Nigerians. Rumors also started spreading online, with some people even claiming that Buhari had been replaced by a body double from Sudan named “Jibrin.”

Shehu said there was serious pressure within the government to control the growing public and media attention. He recalled being in the Chief of Staff’s office when someone mentioned a damaged cable and joked that it might have been caused by rats since the office hadn’t been used in a while. Though it was a casual comment, Shehu turned it into an official explanation to distract people from Buhari’s health condition.

He admitted that the rat claim was not based on any facts. It was simply a media tactic that ended up spreading fast, even being reported by major international outlets like the BBC. The goal, according to Shehu, was to change the topic and shift attention from what people were really worried about.

Not everyone in government agreed with the tactic. Shehu said he was questioned by then Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who asked if the story was actually true.

In another part of the book, Shehu addressed the criticism that Buhari was not fully involved in national affairs. He disagreed, saying that the president was always well-informed and kept up with news daily. In Chapter 6, titled “The Muhammadu Buhari Persona,” Shehu described Buhari as someone who always wanted to know what was going on in the country. He said Buhari usually started his day by reading several newspapers and watching the news on television and radio.

According to Shehu, the rat story may have served its purpose at the time, but it was never the truth. It was simply a planned move to manage public reaction during a difficult time for the presidency.