The death of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on July 13, 2025, at the age of 82, marks the end of an era defined by a man whose life traversed the arcs of military authoritarianism and democratic reinvention. His legacy is one of complex dualities – discipline and rigidity, hope and disillusionment, integrity and detachment.
Born on December 17, 1942, in Daura, Katsina State, Buhari came of age in a modest, traditional Muslim household. His formative years were marked by Qur’anic learning and a culture that valued duty, restraint, and hierarchy. These values later shaped his military career, which began in earnest in 1961. He rose quickly through the ranks, gaining battlefield experience during the Nigerian Civil War and establishing a reputation as a committed, disciplined officer. By the early 1980s, Buhari had become a central figure in Nigeria’s volatile political-military establishment.
On December 31, 1983, amid widespread economic mismanagement and political corruption, Buhari seized power through a military coup that ousted the democratically elected President Shehu Shagari. His subsequent 20-month rule as military head of state was characterized by an uncompromising campaign against corruption, laziness, and indiscipline.
The regime’s “War Against Indiscipline” became both iconic and controversial. Public officials were jailed, civic order was enforced through harsh penalties, and dissent was met with censorship or imprisonment. While many applauded his anti-corruption zeal, others decried the regime’s draconian methods and disregard for civil liberties.
Buhari’s authoritarian rule was abruptly ended in August 1985 by another military coup, this time led by General Ibrahim Babangida. After a period of house arrest and withdrawal from public life, Buhari slowly re-entered the national stage – this time as a democrat.
From 2003 to 2011, he contested and lost three presidential elections. Yet, he remained a persistent symbol of incorruptibility, especially among Nigeria’s northern populace and disenfranchised voters seeking moral leadership. His perseverance bore fruit in 2015 when, at the age of 72, he won the presidency in a historic election that marked the first time an incumbent president was defeated at the ballot box in Nigeria. Buhari, now cast as a “reformed democrat,” declared in his inaugural address, “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody” – a phrase that captured national hope for a clean break from the past.
However, governing Nigeria proved far more difficult than campaigning. Buhari’s administration quickly attracted criticism for its slow decision-making, exemplified by his delay in appointing cabinet ministers for over six months. His reputation for personal integrity did not always translate into institutional transformation. While notable anti-corruption efforts were launched – including the recovery of stolen public funds and the introduction of a Treasury Single Account—corruption remained entrenched, and the prosecution of political opponents raised concerns about selective justice.
The economy faltered under his leadership. Nigeria slid into two recessions during his eight-year tenure, with inflation, unemployment, and currency instability biting deeply into the lives of ordinary citizens. Many of his economic policies, including rigid foreign exchange controls, were widely criticized as outdated and counterproductive. Infrastructure projects lagged, and efforts to diversify the economy away from oil made little headway.
Perhaps Buhari’s most disappointing shortfall was in the area of national security. Despite vowing to end Boko Haram’s insurgency, his government struggled to contain terrorism, banditry, and kidnappings. A splinter group, ISWAP, emerged and further destabilized the northeast. In the northwest and central regions, rural communities were increasingly held hostage by violent criminal gangs. The government’s inability to respond effectively to these threats bred disillusionment and fear.
One of the most damaging episodes of Buhari’s presidency came in October 2020 during the #EndSARS protests against police brutality. The violent crackdown on peaceful demonstrators at the Lekki Toll Gate shocked the world and tarnished his democratic credentials. Coupled with his frequent, unexplained medical trips to London—at one point lasting over 100 days – questions about transparency, competence, and empathy began to define his leadership.
When Buhari handed over power to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in May 2023, he exited the stage with a mixed legacy. To many in northern Nigeria, he remained a symbol of honesty, sacrifice, and national duty. To others, especially in the south and among Nigeria’s youth, he epitomized the failure of the old guard to meet the challenges of a modern, dynamic society.
Muhammadu Buhari’s death closes a chapter in Nigeria’s post-independence story – a chapter that began with military zeal and ended in democratic ambiguity. His life reminds us that personal virtue, while admirable, is not enough to overcome the structural and systemic challenges that define governance in Nigeria.
In mourning his passing, the nation must also reflect on the lessons of his tenure: that change requires not just conviction, but competence; not just discipline, but dialogue.
He now belongs to history – a towering, if enigmatic, figure in Nigeria’s long and unfinished journey toward a more just and prosperous nation.
