Nigeria’s former president, Muhammadu Buhari, has died at the age of 82 in London, marking the quiet end to a controversial and consequential chapter in the nation’s political history.
His death was confirmed by his longtime spokesperson, Garba Shehu, who stated that the former president passed peacefully in a private hospital surrounded by close family members.
Buhari, a figure who loomed large over Nigeria’s military and democratic landscape for over four decades, died after battling an undisclosed illness for several months.
He had traveled to the United Kingdom earlier this year for ongoing medical treatment, a familiar routine that dated back to his presidency, where he frequently sought healthcare abroad.
Born on December 17, 1942, in the dusty northern town of Daura in Katsina State, Muhammadu Buhari was the twenty-third child of a Fulani family steeped in Islamic tradition.
He joined the Nigerian Army in 1961 and rose quickly through the ranks, gaining a reputation as a stoic, disciplined, and incorruptible officer.
He first came to national prominence in 1976 when he was appointed as the Federal Commissioner (Minister) for Petroleum under General Olusegun Obasanjo’s military regime.
But it was in 1983, during Nigeria’s post-independence democratic turbulence, that Buhari would seize the national stage by force.
On December 31 of that year, he led a military coup that ousted the civilian government of President Shehu Shagari, citing corruption and mismanagement.
His brief tenure as Nigeria’s military head of state, from 1983 to 1985, was marked by an aggressive anti-corruption campaign and the infamous “War Against Indiscipline” a rigid, sometimes brutal, social crusade that enforced public morality through military-style punishments and decrees.
Though his anti-graft stance won admiration from segments of the public, Buhari’s rule was also defined by widespread human rights abuses and suppression of the press.
His regime was overthrown in a palace coup led by General Ibrahim Babangida, and Buhari faded into near-obscurity for almost two decades.
Yet in a remarkable political resurrection, Buhari returned to public life, this time trading his military fatigues for civilian garb.
He ran unsuccessfully for president in 2003, 2007, and 2011.
His persistence paid off in 2015, when he defeated incumbent Goodluck Jonathan in a historic election, the first time an opposition candidate unseated a sitting president in Nigeria’s democratic history.
As president, Buhari branded himself as the no-nonsense general turned “converted democrat,” promising to root out corruption, defeat terrorism, and rebuild Nigeria’s struggling economy.
His administration launched several high-profile anti-corruption probes and recovered billions in looted funds.
He also pushed forward a massive infrastructure agenda, including the revitalization of rail lines, highways, and power projects across the country.
However, Buhari’s presidency was dogged by criticism. His economic policies,particularly during Nigeria’s 2016 recession,were deemed sluggish and outdated.
His government was accused of being slow to respond to security crises, including the enduring threat of Boko Haram and a wave of banditry and kidnappings across the north.
Civil society groups slammed his administration for its handling of the #EndSARS protests in 2020, a youth-led movement against police brutality that ended in a violent crackdown and international condemnation.
Despite the challenges, Buhari secured re-election in 2019, defeating former vice president Atiku Abubakar.
His second term was more subdued.
He rarely addressed the nation, often communicating through brief statements, and became increasingly reclusive.
Critics labeled him an absentee leader, particularly during health scares that took him out of the country for extended periods.
He stepped down in May 2023 after completing his second term, handing over to his political ally, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a peaceful transition of power.
Retiring to his hometown of Daura, Buhari maintained a low profile, occasionally receiving political visitors and issuing terse public statements.
He reportedly spent much of his time farming, reading, and reflecting on his years in service.
The news of Buhari’s death has triggered an outpouring of reactions across Nigeria and the African continent.
President Tinubu has declared a week of national mourning, ordering flags flown at half-staff and tributes to be held in Abuja and Daura.
African leaders from Ghana, Niger, Liberia, and South Africa have expressed condolences, lauding Buhari’s contributions to regional stability and anti-corruption efforts.
Reactions among ordinary Nigerians remain divided.
For some, Buhari was a principled leader,a man of rare personal integrity in a system awash with corruption.
For others, he was a missed opportunity, a president who failed to match the weight of his promises with action, and who presided over some of the most tumultuous years in modern Nigerian history.
Yet few can deny the impact of Muhammadu Buhari on Nigeria’s political evolution.
His life was a mirror to the nation’s own story: a young republic struggling with its identity, swinging between authoritarianism and democracy, progress and regression, hope and disappointment.
Buhari is survived by his wife, Aisha Buhari, their five children, and several grandchildren.
He also had children from his first marriage.
Funeral arrangements are underway, with family sources indicating he will be buried in Daura according to Islamic rites.
As the country prepares to bid farewell to one of its most consequential figures, Muhammadu Buhari leaves behind a legacy that will continue to shape Nigeria’s political discourse for generations.
His name, either as a hero, a flawed reformer, or a stern disciplinarian,will remain deeply etched in the nation’s collective memory.
“Nigeria has lost a patriot,” Garba Shehu said solemnly.
“But history will remember him as a man who believed in the discipline of the state and the strength of integrity.”
