The flag is flown at half-mast. The final whistle is blown. The country is mourning. Muhammadu Buhari, the political king of Northern Nigeria, is dead. Buhari, a strong critic of medical tourism, reportedly died in a hospital in London, the capital of the United Kingdom. In flowing tributes, some Nigerians, particularly elites, described Buhari as a man of simple lifestyle, but there’s a division of thoughts among the poor he claimed to represent or reflect as a leader.
Some argued that Buhari was a friend of the poor who hung around the rich, while others argued that he became a friend of the rich to benefit the poor. In all, Buhari undoubtedly remains the first president who allowed several social intervention programs, such as the N-POWER Volunteer Scheme, Trader Moni, the Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme, and the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Scheme, among others, for the benefit of poor Nigerians.
Glowing tributes have been paid by many prominent Nigerians. From front pages of newspapers to radios to TVs to social media, there has been a flood of glowing tributes to the Daura-born soldier and acclaimed ‘friend of the poor’ who lived a life of public service from military to civil rule. As glowing as tributes are, the late president never escaped the clutches of some Nigerians who probably expected much from him or are still aggrieved about his redesigning of the naira notes policy, which affected a lot of Nigerians, especially small-scale businesses.
Buhari knew he could not have escaped the clutches of some Nigerians as a man of public service. He led a military coup that ousted a civilian government headed by Shehu Shagari. He was also removed from office alongside his deputy, Tunde Idiagbon, by a military coup in 1985. 30 years later he was democratically elected by Nigerians under the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) and became the first beneficiary of a successful coalition of opposition parties against the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Late President Buhari was a big elephant who could not have died without trembling in the forest. As much as glowing tributes and criticisms are allowed, both critics and followers know that his death comes without apology. He dreamt and walked into the realities of his dreams. He was a child of destiny who grew into a man of accomplishments. He started his journey to be elected democratically in 2003. He lost thrice despite polling millions of votes, majorly in the core North. He never relented in his pursuit and was eventually elected as president in 2015. His spirits of determination and resiliency are what every Nigerian youth needs to be imbued with.
He was a man of public service. He started as a soldier in the Nigerian military and rose to military governor of northeastern now Borno State. He chaired the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) from 1976 to 1978 and reportedly built oil refineries. He became Chief of Military Secretary in 1977. He served as Nigeria’s head of state from December 31, 1976, to August 27, 1978. He served as chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund from 1994 to 1998 under the General Sani Abacha regime. He was elected president of Nigeria in 2019 and left power in 2023 after serving two terms.
During Buhari’s eight years as a civilian president, he bought twelve (12) Super Tucano aircraft worth $600 million to aid the Nigerian military’s operations in the Northeast, which aided the recovery of territories from the deadly hands of Boko Haram. He signed the Voluntary Income Asset Declaration Scheme to aid tax awareness and compliance. He started and completed the second Niger Bridge and railway projects such as the Lagos-Ibadan railway line and the Abuja-Kaduna railway. He signed the Petroleum Industry Act.
A brief profile of the late Muhammadu Buhari, a former head of state and civilian president
EARLY LIFE
Muhammadu Buhari was born on December 17, 1942, in Daura, Katsina State, Nigeria. He rose to stardom during the country’s military era. He was born into a Fulani family and was the 23rd child of his father, Mallam Hardo Adamu, a Fulani chieftain. According to findings, he lost his father at age 4 and was raised by his mother, Zulaihat.
EDUCATION
He attended Katsina Middle School, Daura, and Mai’Adua, followed by Katsina Provincial Secondary School from 1956 to 1961. He later attended the Nigerian Military Training College and the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, England.
MARITAL LIFE
He married two women, namely Safinatu Yusuf in 1971 and Aisha Halilu in 1989. He got divorced from Safinatu in 1988, after which he married Aisha Halilu. Buhari had ten children altogether. In his first marriage, Safinatu gave birth to Zulaihat (now deceased), Fatima, Hadiza, Safinatu, and Musa (now deceased). In his second marriage, Aisha gave birth to Yusuf, Zahra, Halima, Aisha, and Amina.
CAREER
He joined the Nigerian Army in 1961 and rose to the rank of major general. He served as governor of North-Eastern State, federal commissioner for petroleum resources, pioneer chairman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, and military head of state. He won the presidential election in 2015, defeating incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan. He was re-elected in 2019, serving until May 2023.
DEATH
Buhari passed away on July 13, 2025, at the age of 82, in London, following a prolonged illness.
