Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria's former president, passed on at the age of 82, on July 13, in a London clinic - as confirmed by his family - after a long illness. The cause of death was reportedly age-related complications that had worsened over the past year. His death closes the chapter on one of Africa’s most consequential, controversial, and enduring political careers. Who was he? Born in December 1942 in the northern town of Daura, Katsina State—then part of colonial Nigeria—Buhari rose from modest beginnings to become military ruler in the 1980s and later returned as a democratically elected president more than three decades later. Buhari was raised in a traditional Fulani-Kanuri household. His father died when he was just four, leaving his mother to raise him. In a 2012 interview, he recalled being the 23rd child of his father and the 13th of his mother. He did his early education in Daura and later at a boarding school in Katsina. Shortly after Nigeria gained independence in 1960, Buhari joined the Nigerian Military Training College. Between 1962 and 1963, he trained as an officer in the United Kingdom and steadily climbed the ranks. By the 1970s, he had become military governor of the northeastern region and was appointed petroleum minister under the Obasanjo regime in 1976. Buhari married twice: first to Safinatu Yusuf (1971–1988), and then to Aisha Halilu in 1989, and he fathered 10 children. His tough stance became evident in 1983 when, as a senior army officer, he responded to territorial incursions from Chad by blockading Nigerian islands in Lake Chad. That same year, amid growing dissatisfaction with Nigeria’s civilian leadership, a coup ousted President Shehu Shagari. Buhari then emerged as head of state, though he insisted he was not one of the plotters. His short-lived military government (1983–1985) was marked by aggressive anti-corruption measures, heavy-handed enforcement of discipline, and controversial economic policies, leaving more than 500 officials jailed for corruption. He introduced a decree that led to the imprisonment of journalists and detained Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti on what were widely viewed as trumped-up charges. Public servants were subjected to humiliating punishments for lateness, and queues at bus stops were enforced by soldiers. He also oversaw a currency change, replacing old naira notes to flush out illegal money. In August 1985, Buhari was overthrown by General Ibrahim Babangida and spent 40 months in detention. After returning to civilian life, Buhari re-entered the political arena, running for president in 2003, 2007, and 2011—all unsuccessfully. His persistence paid off in 2015 when he defeated incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan, becoming Nigeria’s first opposition candidate to win the presidency through the ballot box. He campaigned on promises of integrity, security, and anti-corruption—values he claimed had defined both his military and personal life. Buhari declared his modest assets publicly, reinforcing his image as a man of simple lifestyle and clean hands. His administration reintroduced import bans, most notably on rice, in a bid to boost local farming. But the result was a dramatic spike in food prices, where a 50-kilo bag of rice that cost ₦7,500 in 2015 soared to as high as ₦60,000—feeding resentment among ordinary Nigerians. In viral social media clips recorded the day he left office in 2023 after his second term which began in 2019, Nigerians were asked what they would remember most about Buhari. The common reply: “Bag of rice.” Even his long-time supporters began to lose faith, some pointing to the growing economic strain, and others to the slow pace of reforms. Buhari was nicknamed “Baba Go Slow” for the six months it took him to name his first cabinet in 2015. He responded that the system, not his leadership, was to blame for the delays. Buhari’s health became a national concern, especially during his first term, when he took extended medical leaves abroad with little public explanation and calls for transparency were often ignored, fuelling frustration and speculation. In his final year in office, Buhari endorsed a controversial “naira swap” policy that restricted access to cash and was seen by many as a political move to sideline his party’s eventual candidate, Bola Tinubu. The policy backfired, leading to widespread suffering until it was suspended by the Supreme Court just before the 2023 election. Though he eventually handed over power peacefully and respected term limits, opinions remain divided on his legacy. According to reports, some people credit him with restoring a measure of integrity to the presidency, while others cite rising poverty, sluggish governance, and authoritarian tendencies.
