•Tinubu mourns ‘national tragedy’, sends VP to UK to accompany body back home
•FG holds special Federal Executive Council session tomorrow
•Jonathan, Obasanjo, Babangida pay tribute, say Nigeria has lost a patriot
•NGF: Buhari was a leader of duty, humility, strategic patience
•Northern governors pay tribute, hail legacy of integrity, sacrifice
•Bago, Oborovweri, Abiodun, others laud former president
•The man, his legacy, policies, health and controversies
President Bola Tinubu and other eminent Nigerians yesterday paid tributes to former President Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away on Sunday in London.
The precise cause of death has yet to be disclosed. He was aged 82.
Tinubu described the death a national tragedy, mourning the loss of a man he called “one of Nigeria’s most consequential leaders”. He also directed that a special session of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) be held tomorrow in honour of the late leader. His passing marks the end of a political era spanning nearly five decades, during which he served as both military ruler and democratically elected president.
In a statement issued from the State House, Abuja, Tinubu said the country had lost “a soldier, a statesman, and a patriot who gave his all in service to the nation”.
“This is a moment of deep national pain,” Tinubu declared. “President Muhammadu Buhari embodied discipline, duty, and devotion to Nigeria. His passing is a national tragedy.”
The President said he had spoken with former First Lady Aisha Buhari to personally offer condolences to the bereaved family. He also directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to travel immediately to the United Kingdom to accompany the late President’s body back to Nigeria for burial.
“In accordance with Islamic rites and in honour of his status as a former head of state, Vice President Shettima will represent the Federal Republic of Nigeria in bringing home the body of the late President,” Tinubu announced. As part of national mourning, Tinubu ordered that all flags across the country and Nigerian missions abroad be flown at half-staff for seven days.
The Federal Government is expected to announce official funeral arrangements in the coming days, with preparations underway for a state burial.
FORMER Nigerian Presidents Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and retired General Ibrahim Babangida have expressed sadness over the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing his passing as a great national loss.
In separate condolence messages yesterday, the two former leaders paid tribute to Buhari’s character, integrity, and commitment to public service.
Jonathan, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, described the late President as “a notable leader, patriot, and elder statesman who served our beloved nation as both a military Head of State and President, to the best of his abilities.”
“He will be remembered as a courageous leader, a disciplined officer, and a committed public servant who made considerable contributions towards the peace and progress of our dear nation,” the statement read.
Jonathan noted that Buhari was “deeply admired across the strata of society for his decency, integrity and exemplary life of service,” adding that “as a leader, he was selfless in his commitment to duty and served the country with character and a deep sense of patriotism.”
“In his passing, Nigeria has lost one of its foremost leaders, and I have lost a respected colleague and elder,” Jonathan said. “His legacy will continue to endure in the hearts of all who value sacrifice, integrity, perseverance and devotion to national ethos.”
He extended his condolences on behalf of his family and the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation to Buhari’s immediate family, the people of Katsina State, and all Nigerians. “May Allah forgive his shortcomings, accept his good deeds and grant him Jannatul Firdaus,” he prayed.
Similarly, Chief Obasanjo described Buhari’s death as a “great loss,” saying the former president was a patriot and statesman who contributed immensely to Nigeria’s socioeconomic and political development. He prayed for the repose of Buhari’s soul and noted that the former leader would be greatly missed by family, friends, and the nation at large.
For his part, former President, General Ibrahim Babangida, said he received the news of the passing of Buhari with great shock. In a tribute released shortly after the announcement, Babangida described Buhari as a friend, brother, course mate, and fellow soldier in the journey of nationhood.
General Babangida noted that, over the years, they shared trenches and trials, dreams and disappointments, victories and moments of reflection. He said their bond was forged not only through military training but also by a shared commitment to the ideals of service, discipline, and love for country.
He further stated that, over the course of their long careers, fate placed both of them in leadership at different times and under very different circumstances, but Buhari remained consistent in his belief in integrity, order, and the dignity of public office.
Babangida added that Buhari served Nigeria with a deep sense of responsibility and unwavering commitment, even when the path was lonely or misunderstood.
GOVERNORS of the Northern States, under the aegis of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF), mourned the death of Buhari, saying they received the news of his passing with profound shock and immense sorrow. Chairman of the forum and Governor of Gombe State, Inuwa Yahaya, in a message signed, described the passing of the former Nigerian leader as a moment of great national mourning and an immense loss not only to the North but to the entire nation. Yahaya described the late President as an embodiment of integrity and discipline.
“President Muhammadu Buhari was an iconic figure whose life embodied discipline, integrity and a steadfast commitment to the service of Nigeria. From his days as a young military officer to his tenure as military Head of State and later as a democratically elected President, Buhari distinguished himself as a leader of conviction and purpose. His legacy is one of sacrifice, selflessness, and steadfast commitment to the unity, security and progress of our dear country,” he said.
The NSGF chairman added, “To us in the Northern Governors’ Forum, President Buhari was not just a national icon, but also a mentor and moral compass who stood firm on the principles of accountability, transparency and good governance. He mentored with humility, governed with courage and lived a life marked by simplicity and patriotism.”
Yahaya said Buhari’s death had left an enormous vacuum, “which will be deeply felt across every sector of our national life”.
“On behalf of the Northern Governors’ Forum, I extend our heartfelt condolences to his beloved family, the Daura Emirate, the government and people of Katsina State, and indeed all Nigerians. We pray that Almighty Allah, in His infinite mercy, forgives his shortcomings and grants him eternal rest in Aljannatul Firdaus,” he said.
Also, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) expressed deep sorrow, describing his passing as a profound loss to Nigeria and the African continent. In a statement, NGF Chairman and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, said the death of the former president marked a significant depletion in the ranks of Africa’s all-time great men.
Osinbajo mourns Buhari, says Nigeria has lost a true patriot
Immediate past Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has expressed deep sorrow over the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as a true patriot whose life was marked by honesty, discipline, and a steadfast commitment to national service.
In a condolence message yesterday, Osinbajo said he and his wife, Dolapo, received the news of Buhari’s death with profound sadness. He disclosed that shortly after the news broke, he and Dolapo spoke with the former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, and their son, Yusuf, to express their condolences and share in the grief of the family.
“Nigeria has lost a true patriot—a man whose life was marked by unyielding devotion to the nation he loved,” Osinbajo said. “President Buhari’s legacy will endure as a testament to the nobility of public service, defined by honesty, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to the public good.”
Buhari an incorruptible, patriotic leader, Abbas, others say
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Abbas Tajudeen, has described former President Muhammadu Buhari as an incorruptible leader and a man of integrity.
In his condolence message, the Speaker further referred to Buhari as one of the most patriotic Nigerians to have ever lived, noting that the former leader dedicated most of his life to serving the country.
In a statement issued through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Abdullahi Krishi, Abbas described Buhari as an officer and statesman who earned national respect for his simplicity and lack of materialism; virtues that contributed to his image as “incorruptible”.
He noted that Buhari was one of only two Nigerians, alongside Olusegun Obasanjo, to have served both as military Head of State and democratically elected President, describing it as a rare privilege.
Abbas recalled Buhari’s strong grassroots support, particularly in northern Nigeria, which he attributed to the former president’s disciplined and upright personality.
He also highlighted Buhari’s role in the formation of the All Progressives Congress alongside President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and others, noting that their alliance brought an end to the 16-year rule of the Peoples Democratic Party in 2015.
“Buhari carved a niche for himself as an incorruptible leader, a man of integrity, and an unflinching commitment to nation-building. His life was also defined by uncommon simplicity,” the Speaker said.
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has expressed grief over the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing it as a colossal loss to Nigeria. In a condolence message, Sanwo-Olu said Buhari was a transparent, courageous, and honest leader who genuinely loved Nigeria and contributed his quota to the country’s development.
He commiserated with Buhari’s immediate family and President Bola Tinubu, and also sympathised with leaders and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the loss of one of the party’s respected founders.
“On behalf of my wife, Ibijoke, the people and government of Lagos State, I mourn the passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari, one of Nigeria’s most prominent military and political leaders,” he said.
“He was a courageous, disciplined, respected and passionate leader. His commitment to the growth and development of Nigeria is worthy of emulation because he provided honest and transparent leadership in the country.”
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has expressed condolences to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari. Makinde also commiserated with the wife of the late president, Hajia Aisha Buhari, and the entire Buhari family, praying for the repose of his soul.
In a statement, the governor described Buhari’s death as unexpected but noted that the former president made his mark in serving the nation. Niger State Governor, Muhammad Umaru Bago, has mourned the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as an elder statesman who has etched his name in Nigeria’s history.
In a statement issued in Minna by his Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, Governor Bago described Buhari as a disciplined personality who lived a life of service to humanity and dedication to nation-building. He noted that the former President was an icon of integrity and patriotism, from his time as a military officer to his leadership as Head of State in 1983 and later as a democratically elected President in 2015 and 2019.
Bago recalled Buhari’s unwavering commitment to fighting corruption and improving Nigeria through key initiatives, including the expansion of rail lines, construction and rehabilitation of major roads, the establishment of Social Investment Programmes (SIP), and reforms in agriculture and security, despite numerous challenges. He stated that the contributions and legacies of the late President to the Nigerian project cannot be forgotten in a hurry.
The governor extended his deepest condolences to the Buhari family, the government, and the people of Katsina State over the great loss.
Osoba, Ashafa hail Buhari’s discipline, modesty, integrity
Describing former President Muhammadu Buhari as a complete gentleman, former Ogun State Governor, Aremo Segun Osoba, said Buhari was “a disciplined military officer in every sense of the word, who lived his entire life true to the values of military discipline.”
In a similar vein, former lawmaker and one-time Managing Director of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Senator Genga Ashafa, has joined other Nigerians in paying glowing tributes to the late President Buhari, describing him as a rare patriot who lived a life of simplicity, integrity, and unwavering dedication to national service.
Recalling a personal experience, Osoba said: “Buhari was someone who delegated responsibilities without interfering. I had a firsthand experience when he appointed me as Managing Director of Daily Times on June 12, 1984. Throughout my tenure, he never interfered in my decisions — even when the late Tony Momoh and I had to sack about 40 per cent of the workforce due to their deep involvement in the politics of the Second Republic. Despite several petitions written against us, Buhari never questioned my actions. He was a simple man who lived a remarkably modest life.”
In a heartfelt condolence message, Ashafa described the late Buhari as a simple and honest Nigerian. Ashafa, who was also a permanent secretary in the Lagos State Ministry of Lands, said Buhari’s most enduring legacy might well be his personal modesty and incorruptible image, attributes rarely seen in Nigeria’s political elite.
“Here was a man who came from Daura with nothing but his name and left Aso Rock eight years later with that same name, untarnished, untainted, and unburdened by scandal,” Ashafa said. “He ruled the nation, yet lived like a humble servant. Even after office, he returned to Daura without pomp, and later quietly relocated to Kaduna. His disdain for materialism was striking, especially in a country where ostentation has become synonymous with power.”
Concluding his tribute, Ashafa said: “Though opinions may differ about his policies or style of governance, one cannot deny that Muhammadu Buhari gave his all to Nigeria. He may not have solved all our problems, but he brought sincerity, personal sacrifice, and a moral compass to leadership, and that alone sets him apart. May the Almighty grant him eternal rest and reward him with peace in the hereafter.”
The Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Muda Yusuf, has paid tribute to former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as a leader widely admired for his integrity and incorruptibility.
Yusuf noted that Buhari’s anti-corruption stance earned him goodwill across various sectors, including the private sector, particularly because corruption had long been a major impediment to Nigeria’s economic development.
“President Buhari had a spectacular reputation as a leader with high integrity and highly incorruptible. Because corruption was a major bane of the Nigerian economy, his anti-corruption stance endeared him to many including the private sector,” Yusuf stated.
He added that the late President was committed to ensuring food security and self-reliance, recalling Buhari’s often-repeated slogan: “We must grow what we eat and eat what we grow.”
However, Yusuf observed that Buhari’s scepticism towards neo-liberal economic models placed constraints on market forces, noting that his administration’s strong preference for a state-led economy drew criticism from economists, private sector operators, and multilateral institutions.
“He was very skeptical of neo-liberal economic policies, which considerably limited the role of the market in the economy. Many economists, private sector players, and multilateral institutions had reservations about his ideological disposition of a state-led economy,” he said.
Yusuf further remarked that Buhari’s economic philosophy contributed to an unprecedented expansion of Nigeria’s rent economy. Nonetheless, he emphasised that Buhari’s intentions were rooted in a desire to better the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
“There was no doubt that he meant well for the economy and the citizens, especially the poor,” he said.
Buhari: The economic legacies of a pro-poor socialist
WHEN he seized power from a democratically elected leader, Shehu Shagari, in 1983, it was meant to end a “corrupt” national leadership that was responsible for a declining economy. However, his hastily planned and poorly executed austerity and pro-Nigeria programmes, which restricted imports and drastically reduced public spending, led to stagnant growth and a higher unemployment rate.
Unlike many other African leaders, he did not pretend about his introversion and inward-looking economic philosophy. Straightforwardly, he severed Nigeria’s ties with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and distanced its economic agenda from the Bretton Woods institutions’ pro-market postulations, reclining the economy into a socialist system, which would shape both his military regime and his second coming as a democrat.
But Buhari would later prove that he was not only against the overbearing stance of the global north but also in conflict with what they, as advocates of a market economy, stood for. His regime visited the anti-capitalism on the domestic economy, with most of the policies camouflaged as anti-corruption campaigns. Bank accounts of individuals were frozen; borders were shut against neighbouring countries, and migrant workers were repatriated. Some of the policies led to the collapse of many businesses.
While the administration was not perceived to have achieved much in economic growth, its War Against Indiscipline (WAI) resonated with Nigerians from all walks of life – and even those born after the administration was toppled by another coup.
This earned him the title “Mr Integrity” and a reputation as a pro-poor leader. For several elections he contested thereafter, he reportedly received donations from ordinary folks who believed he had the key to rescuing the country from the stranglehold of elite bargain.
In the run-up to the 2015 election, his integrity toga gave him out as the best man for the job. The Peoples Democratic Party had spent 16 years at the helm of national affairs but was perceived to be self-serving. The poorly constructed image of the ruling party then was worsened by a six-year Goodluck Jonathan regime that was notorious for its weak anti-corruption antecedents.
A victory for Buhari in 2015 raised hopes for a national economy that would run on transparency, fairness, and national interest. But the eight-year administration ended with the national economic fortune declining. Again, Buhari would be remembered for standing up against the Bretton Woods institutions, whom he told Nigeria would run “an economic model” that served its interest.
On several occasions, he resisted the temptation to devalue the naira, remove fuel and electricity subsidies, and reform the tax system to make Nigerians pay more. When he realised that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) meant fuel subsidy removal, he suspended the implementation.
Indeed, Buhari removed fuel subsidy in 2016. But as prices increased with rising crude after COVID-19, the administration reinstated the fuel subsidy, which it reclassified as under- and over-recovery.
Of course, Buhari had touched a few areas of the economy positively. For instance, his flagship programme – the rail system reform inherited from the previous administration – recorded some milestones. The 156km Lagos-Ibadan rail service came to life and started operation under him. The 327km Itakpe-Warri Standard Gauge Rail was completed and commissioned 33 years after construction kicked off, while the Abuja Light Rail, though now abandoned, was also opened for use.
Across the country, federal roads were transformed from death traps to the real highways they should be. The Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF), an initiative of the administration, was said to have invested over $1 billion in three flagship projects – the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Second Niger Bridge, and Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Expressway – which were either completed or near completion.
Among other infrastructure initiatives, it signed Executive Order 7, mobilising private investment into the development of key roads and bridges, including Bodo-Bonny in Rivers and Apapa-Oshodi-Oworonshoki-Ojota in Lagos. The latter is a case study of how unconventional thinking could help developing countries to unlock infrastructure funding and bridge the wide gaps.
But the gains, in terms of increase in the stock of infrastructure, might have been deflated by the head-shaking macroeconomic readings contained in the handover notes he passed to President Ahmed Bola Tinubu. From debt scare to alarming poverty and the huge unemployment rate to a volatile local currency, Buhari shattered all known documented records in the history of the country.
Poverty-unemployment spiral
Whereas the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) had not released employment data for upwards of three years before he left office, Nigeria recorded the highest rate of joblessness during the administration. It rose to 33.3 per cent at the last count in 2020. The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and KPMG had pegged 2025’s rate at 41 and 37 per cen,t respectively. The average would mean Nigeria had the highest rate of unemployment on the continent, if not in the world.
At the turn of 2015, when Buhari toured the country with his change agenda, the national rate of unemployment was 7.5 per cent. It rose to 8.2 per cent the following quarter when the late President took the reins of office. In the third quarter, the figure went up to 9.9 per cent and ballooned to 23.1 per cent in 2018, when the administration’s policies began to take root, with dwindling capacity utilisation, factory closures, fleeing investment, and insecurity headlines taking over the media space.
Poverty, a constant in the country’s socio-economic equation, is an increasing function of unemployment. The two variables feed on each other and reinforce their growth momentum, especially in an autopilot economy, which Nigeria witnessed in the eight years of Buhari. The rate of poverty and the number of Nigerians living from hand to mouth had increased to a frightening level in those years.
For one, there had been a pushback on the poverty label hanging over Nigeria. The description of Nigeria as the poverty capital of the world, for instance, was described by many as hasty. On the international scene, questions on the redefinition and reclassification of the subject had gained prominence. But beyond the international profiling and the pushback from Buhari’s men, the government admitted that poverty was a major socio-economic challenge confronting the country. For instance, in 2019, the President pledged to lift 100 million people out of extreme poverty by 2030, indirectly confirming that the number of Nigerians in extreme poverty was not less than 100 million.
The Nigeria Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) also revealed in 2024 that 63 per cent of the citizens, or 133 million, were multidimensionally poor. The NBS had also estimated the number of monetarily poor Nigerians at 82.9 million, or 40.1 per cent.
According to the 2018/19 Nigerian Living Standard Survey (NLSS) of the NBS, official monetary poverty implies Nigerians with real per capita expenditure below the poverty line of N137,430 per year (or N376.5 per day). Whereas the figure is taken as given, the benchmarked N376.5 daily expenditure as a measure of monetary poverty is unrealistically low. The minimum cost of a square meal at mama puts (unbranded local restaurants) anywhere in the country at the time was about N500. That alone mocked the NBS’s standard definition of poverty.
Economic cost of inflation
The administration had set the most disturbing inflation figures in terms of momentum and prevalence known before them. For the first time, high inflation became an entrenched issue, making it difficult for economic agents, particularly investors, to plan.
Before Buhari assumed office, the economy had sustained an unbroken 29-month single-digit inflation run, which was a target at some point. Seven months into Buhari’s administration, the inflation rate left the realm of single digits, but many experts dismissed the then-new trend as transitory. At the administration’s second anniversary, the speed of the headline inflation rate had almost doubled, climbing from 8.7 per cent to 15.6 per cent. Thereafter, efforts to curtail the challenge made little or no difference as the price crisis assumed the character of runaway inflation.
The speed of inflation hit the highway following the famous border closure of 2019 that left millions of households struggling to feed themselves. The government said the border closure was necessary to check smuggling and rising insecurity while stimulating local production. But the market reality was something entirely different, with 50 kilogrammes of rice rising by nearly 500 per cent in about four years to hit N40,000 – N10,000 higher than the public sector monthly minimum wage then, before the government succumbed to pressure and ordered a partial reopening of the borders. Nigerians were regaled by pyramids after pyramids of rice paddies, which did not stop the price of the essential food from climbing even higher to N45,000. When Buhari left office, the headline inflation rate set a new 17-year high of 22.2 per cent, while food inflation neared 25 per cent. From May 2015 to April 2023, the composite consumer price index (CPI) had tripled, rising from 169.7 to 537 points. By implication, an average household would need to increase its money income three times to retain its May 2015 consumption bundle.
But sadly, incomes had instead buckled. Those in paid jobs had also lost their wage negotiating power to rising unemployment. Since wage is a decreasing function of the unemployment rate, most employees were consigned to reservation wages, an economic term that defines a situation where an employee is indifferent as to whether to offer himself for work or not.
During the Buhari administration, the minimum wage grew by 67 per cent. In contrast, the general price level had increased by 220 per cent, or over threefold what it was in April 2015, implying that an individual whose money income had tripled was still slightly below his purchasing power eight years earlier.
Naira as an article of trade
One immutable and most distinguishing function of money is its role as a store of value, whence flows John Keynes’ popular quote, “the best way to destroy the capitalist system is to debauch the currency.” The naira, indeed, faced much debauchery in the past eight years that it became more of an article of speculation and trade than it was a store of value.
The currency had lost its long-standing N150/$ peg against the dollar before the election that ushered Buhari into power. The official rate was about N196/$, with the black market rates converging around the same rate or even trading slightly lower on some days. Shortly after the first anniversary of the then-new administration, the official exchange rate of the local currency had lost almost 50 per cent of its value, trading around N280/$.
But the problem was much deeper – the currency became increasingly unstable, while the market arbitrage, which was about zero a year earlier, widened to about N80 per dollar. That marked the beginning of the recently renewed round-tripping and other barefaced official malpractices witnessed in the market. In 2023, a desperate CBN stopped the weekly funding of the Bureau de Change (BDC) as it grappled with the stern reality of a steadily dipping local currency. What did that achieve? More sliding, increasing volatility.
From 2016 to 2023, the naira had literally been pushed to the highway, with a self-fulfilling prophecy and shorting taking hold of the market. The CBN attempted every strategy in the books, only for the debauchery to continue. At the height of the crisis in 2022, a premium on the black market hit 100 per cent – the first time such would happen since the country’s return to civil rule. When he left office, the naira was trading at N750/$ at the parallel market and N460/$ at the official market.
CBN’s budget supports balloon by 2,900%
Less than 20 years after the country exited the debt crisis following a relief secured from the Paris Club, it slid back into the trap, no thanks to the additional N34 trillion accumulated by the federal and state governments in the eight years of Buhari. The extra debt, which excludes the controversial and opaque budget supports from the apex bank, increased the national sovereign debt by 282 per cent.
But the unrestrained recourse to the Ways and Means (W&M) window of the CBN and how it was managed raised even more concern. The amount and frequency contravened the CBN Act. The President inherited a N789 billion CBN overdraft from his predecessor in 2015; the amount had risen to about N30 trillion in 2023.
Depleting savings, growing deficits
The administration would also be remembered for the depletion of the Excess Crude Account (ECA) savings. As at the end of April 2023, the outstanding balance in the account, according to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), was $475 million, which is 77 per cent lower than the $2.1 billion ex-President Goodluck Jonathan left behind.
Poor capital project funding, expanded fiscal deficits, and bloated recurrent expenditure are some of the hallmarks of the administration. From 2015 to 2022, the Federal Government’s actual budgets summed to N69.6 trillion, with the fiscal deficits totalling N29.4 trillion, according to figures obtained from the budget performance reports.
Of the total budgetary spending outlay in the eight years, only 20 per cent (N13.89 trillion) went to capital expenditure (CAPEX), even though some ministries classified consumables like computers as CAPEX. The balance of N55.7 trillion was spent on overhead and other recurrent items.
The FG’s budgetary allocation to CAPEX in eight years was only 22 per cent of the government debt – that is, the component of FG’s debt managed by the Debt Management Office (DMO) plus the outstanding CBN overdrafts. The FG owed 84 per cent of Nigeria’s public debt, while states jointly held 16 per cent. On average, Buhari and the state chief executives added 19.6 per cent to the DMO-managed sovereign debt yearly.
Nigeria could tolerate rising debts, but not when it means every naira earned would go into its servicing. In 2022, the FG’s debt servicing-to-revenue ratio exceeded 80 per cent. It would take bold reforms, the World Bank projected, to prevent it from exceeding 100 per cent in the subsequent years.
Muhammadu Buhari: Exit of a hard man
THE man died. In 1983, when the military junta led by him sacked the civilian administration of Alhaji Shehu Shagari, General Muhammadu Buhari accused the democratically elected government of corruption. He was credited with a Spartan lifestyle and gave himself out as an enemy of indiscipline.
When, in 1984, he authorised the attempted importation of a fugitive from London in a crate, little did he know that 41 years later, his remains would be brought back to the fatherland in a container.
As military Head of State for a brief period spanning 1983 through 1985, General Buhari did not know that 30 years later, he would return to Nigeria’s seat of federal government as a civilian President. Yet, for eight years, the retired General presided over the affairs of the country.
Cumulatively, the life and times of the Daura, Katsina State-born former military leader read like a fairy tale, particularly the interesting circumstances that preceded his ascension to and exit from office as military Head of State and democratically elected President.
Although he mounted the saddle as a civilian President claiming to be a born-again democrat, his tenure left scars from brushes with various institutions of democratic governance, especially the legislature and judiciary.
Buhari and the judiciary
The judiciary under the late President would be remembered for its several upheavals, undermining the integrity of the judiciary as well as a total disregard for the rule of law.
His first major open attack on the sector was at a forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he stated that the fight against corruption in Nigeria could be effectively tackled with the strong support of the judiciary.
The former President, who had made attempts at the presidency three times earlier, alluded that without the use of technology, it would have been practically impossible for him to succeed in his presidential ambition due to a corrupt judicial system. Buhari further assured members of the Nigerian community in Ethiopia that, with the support of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, he would do his best to improve judicial administration in the country.
In his bid to rid the sector of corruption as promised, the government of Buhari, in several ways, treated judicial officers with disrepute by non-implementation of court decisions.
The most controversial, however, was the October 2016 midnight raid involving seven judges, including two Supreme Court Justices, over alleged corruption — a situation that was seriously condemned by lawyers and human rights groups.
But Buhari, in defence of his action, described the raid as a surgical operation and an assault on corruption rather than on the judiciary. Even though the raid was humiliating, he insisted that the Department of State Services (DSS) followed due process in carrying out the exercise.
Beyond the raid of judicial officers, Buhari was also blamed for the forceful and unconstitutional removal of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, in 2019, in a manner that raised questions about the level of encroachment into the nation’s constitutional system.
“That mode of removal of the former Chief Justice of Nigeria was unprecedented. Justice Onnoghen was removed by an ex parte order, which was unheard of,” remarked a constitutional lawyer, Dr Festus Ogwuche.
Cases of human rights violations equally heightened in the country during Buhari’s government. Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, documented various violations during Buhari’s tenure, including crackdowns on protests and restrictions on media freedom.
But in spite of these failures, former President Buhari’s administration was commended for giving some level of independence to the judiciary. “I never saw where he bypassed seniority in the appointment of Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, President of the Court of Appeal, or the Chief Justice of Nigeria. He followed strictly the rule of seniority, which a lot of the governors have commended,” Ogwuche added.
Buhari and life in the Presidency
During his eight-year presidency, Muhammadu Buhari maintained a relationship with Villa staff that was defined by formality, hierarchy, and strict discipline.
For many who worked behind the scenes in Nigeria’s most guarded seat of power, the Buhari years were marked by a culture of routine, restraint, and distance. While previous presidents were known for engaging staff more intimately, sharing off-the-record jokes or offering words of encouragement in corridors, Buhari was a different breed. He carried into Aso Rock the habits of a former military general—reserved, guarded, and often detached.
From steward supervisors to protocol officers, many Villa staff members rarely interacted directly with the President. He moved in silence, surrounded by a small, trusted team, and adhered rigidly to protocol.
Access was controlled not just physically, but institutionally. Messages, requests, and suggestions had to pass through layers of aides, security personnel, and bureaucrats.
“He wasn’t rude or hostile,” said one long-serving official at the State House, “but he was distant. He didn’t encourage familiarity, and most of us learned to simply do our jobs and stay out of the way.”
Unlike some predecessors who occasionally held informal chats with domestic aides or shared meals with senior protocol staff during travels, Buhari reportedly preferred solitude and tight schedules. “He believed in efficiency and control,” another Villa staffer said. “It wasn’t personal, it was just how he operated.”
The result was an atmosphere where staff tread carefully. Interactions with the President were sparse and formal. His rare acknowledgements, such as a nod, a simple “well done,” or a firm handshake, were often seen as significant gestures.
Many staff, especially junior aides and service workers, adjusted to the impersonal environment by focusing strictly on assigned duties. While the Villa functioned smoothly, there was a lingering sense among workers that their work was seen, but not necessarily felt or appreciated at a personal level.
“There was no warmth in the Villa,” one administrative official recalled. “Everything worked, but it didn’t breathe.” Morale among some staff was also affected by the perception that loyalty and ethnicity, rather than merit, drove key appointments and promotions within the Presidency. The dominance of northern insiders in sensitive positions led to quiet resentment among employees from other regions, who felt excluded or sidelined.
Even First Lady Aisha Buhari, in a moment of rare candour, warned publicly that her husband’s government had been hijacked by a few individuals who neither earned their positions through election nor institutional processes.
That sense of alienation trickled down to middle- and lower-level staff, some of whom felt disconnected from decision-making and disillusioned by what they saw as “inner circle” politics.
Still, many staff members acknowledged Buhari’s personal discipline and modest lifestyle. He was punctual, predictable, and uninterested in extravagance. Official meetings started on time. Movements were precise. Villa functions were minimalist in décor and tightly scripted.
“He didn’t like flamboyance. The tone of the Villa changed under him,” said a senior protocol officer. “He rarely attended social events or mingled beyond his official responsibilities. Everything was about duty.”
This predictability, for some, was a relief. It made the Villa less chaotic than in past administrations where impromptu meetings, late-night calls, or political entourages often disrupted official schedules.
Buhari was also known to keep a firm wall between his personal preferences and staff requests.Stories of workers seeking direct intervention for transfers or promotions were almost non-existent. “He simply didn’t entertain lobbying or emotional appeals,” one staff member said. “If you had a request, you went through your line supervisor, not the President.”
While this approach prevented abuses of privilege, it also denied staff the kind of occasional personal connection that some grew used to in previous governments.
In the end, Buhari left behind a Villa culture that reflected his personal ethos: order, restraint, and unbending structure. For staff, it was an era that demanded professionalism but rarely rewarded it with personal rapport.
“There was respect,” said one long-serving cook, “but no closeness. He came in, did his work, and left. We did ours.”
Life inside the Villa
Inside Nigeria’s Presidential Villa during the eight-year rule of Buhari, a culture of discipline and formality reigned.The atmosphere was shaped by the former military ruler’s austere style, a fixation on order, and an insulated inner circle that mirrored the strengths and weaknesses of his administration.
Security within
Amid the country’s unrelenting battles with insurgency, banditry, and separatist threats, the Villa under President Muhammadu Buhari became one of Nigeria’s most fortified spaces. Multiple layers of clearance, elite DSS operatives, military presence, and high-grade surveillance defined a presidency governed with a soldier’s mindset.
Villa access was heavily restricted. Entry required clearance through a maze of protocols. “It wasn’t just about protection, it reflected the President’s personality,” one insider noted. “Everything was ordered, guarded, and cautious.”
But beyond the checkpoints, staff morale often fluctuated. Buhari’s relationship with aides was largely formal and hierarchical. Known for his strict demeanour and reticent nature, he rarely interacted beyond his immediate circle.
A persistent source of frustration among staff was the perceived ethnic and regional bias in appointments.
Many viewed his inner circle as northern-dominated, sparking internal resentment and a sense of exclusion. Even his wife, Aisha Buhari, publicly voiced concern over the influence of unelected individuals “who didn’t contest elections” making key decisions.
Buhari’s cautious style extended to his handling of policies and decisions. While loyalists defended his deliberate pace as thoughtful, civil servants often complained of inertia. Decision-making was slow. Files lingered. Momentum lagged. Staff who sought progress were frequently stifled by red tape.
Controversial appointments, including the lateral entry of permanent secretaries and tenure extensions outside civil service norms, further deepened discontent within the bureaucratic ranks.
Integrity
Despite tensions, some staff admired Buhari’s personal discipline and rejection of flamboyance. The Villa was tightly managed, modest in tone, and largely free of excesses. His anti-corruption campaign, though seen by some as selective, was pursued with visible conviction.
However, Buhari’s aloofness from most staffers meant his trust, once given, remained tightly held. This nurtured fierce loyalty among a few but alienated many who felt excluded from governance.
Cabinet and his inner circle
Buhari’s cabinet meetings were rarely animated. Ministers described a reserved President who listened more than he spoke, delegated presentations, and offered little feedback—sometimes only a nod, other times a brisk directive.
“You made your case, but once he made up his mind, there was no debate,” recalled a former cabinet member. Rather than a cabinet of technocrats, Buhari surrounded himself with those he trusted—men who rarely challenged his views.
However, his style discouraged pushback and rewarded loyalty over innovation. Ministers not considered part of the “trusted zone” often found themselves sidelined, their portfolios overshadowed by more connected aides.
Some cabinet members, like former Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun, quietly exited the stage. Others, like Communications Minister Adebayo Shittu, complained publicly of marginalisation by what they described as a “cabal.”
A glimpse of his candour
Still, Buhari occasionally broke form. At a 2019 cabinet retreat, aides recalled him chuckling when a junior minister stumbled over a presentation. “You’re still learning,” he told the official, “but at least you are trying.” Such moments of warmth were rare and often relayed with surprise. By his second term, Buhari’s core cabinet had solidified, with ministers like Abubakar Malami (Justice), Lai Mohammed (Information), and Rotimi Amaechi (Transport) becoming public defenders of the administration’s stance.While they provided stability for his administration, critics argued that the absence of accountability or reshuffling stifled performance.
Men, women who shaped Buhari’s presidency
Beyond the official cabinet, a more powerful group shaped the Buhari presidency. This informal group, his kitchen cabinet, was bound by trust, proximity, and shared ideology.They operated behind the scenes with enormous influence on policy, appointments, and power dynamics.
Abba Kyari: the gatekeeper
Until his death in 2020, Abba Kyari, Buhari’s Chief of Staff, was the fulcrum of power in the Presidential Villa. He controlled access to the President, vetted proposals, and often issued directives on Buhari’s behalf. “He was more than a gatekeeper; he was the filter, the enforcer, the decision-maker,” said one former aide. His grip on the presidency drew criticism and earned him the label of “shadow president.” Yet for Buhari, Kyari was a dependable lieutenant, loyal to a fault.
Mamman Daura: Buhari’s shadow
Buhari’s nephew, Mamman Daura, held no government office but was one of the most influential voices in the Villa. A veteran journalist and longtime confidant, Daura advised on sensitive political and policy matters. He was often accused of shaping the President’s worldview from the shadows—a charge neither confirmed nor denied. His influence became controversial, particularly after Aisha Buhari raised alarm over “people who didn’t contest elections” pulling strings from behind the scenes.
Babagana Monguno: the security insider
As National Security Adviser, retired Major General Babagana Monguno played a prominent role in shaping Buhari’s national security posture. Despite reported tensions with Kyari, he maintained direct access to the President, helping drive the country’s anti-insurgency strategies.
Aisha Buhari
Although not part of the kitchen cabinet in the traditional sense, First Lady Aisha Buhari regularly disrupted the Villa’s quiet order. Her public interventions, sometimes critical of the President’s aides, sparked headlines and revealed internal fractures. As First Lady, Aisha championed transparency, questioned opaque appointments, and gave voice to frustrations many officials were afraid to express. To supporters, she was the moral conscience of the administration.
Other key players
Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic as chair of the Presidential Task Force. Ismaila Isa Funtua, a close presidential ally and influential northern figure, who, until his death in 2020, offered informal counsel on politics and appointments.
Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila, heads of the Senate and House of Representatives respectively, led a cooperative legislature that smoothed Buhari’s path through two terms.
Buhari’s kitchen cabinet was never codified, but its influence was unmistakable. Policy choices, appointment decisions, and political strategies were often shaped far from public view, in quiet rooms occupied by a small, loyal group.
To supporters, this structure helped preserve focus and discipline. To critics, it fostered insularity, stifled diversity, and bred a system where access mattered more than ideas.
Buhari’s humble beginnings in Daura
Born on December 17, 1942, in Daura, present-day Katsina State, Muhammadu Buhari came into a devout Muslim Fulani family as the 23rd child of his father. His early years were marked by both cultural tradition and personal tragedy, losing his father at a tender age. Raised by his mother, he was taught the values of discipline, endurance, and simplicity—traits that would come to define his personality.
He received his primary education in Daura and Mai’adua before attending Katsina Middle School and Katsina Provincial Secondary School. By 1961, his academic pursuit took a back seat to military service when he was admitted to the Nigerian Military Training College (now Nigerian Defence Academy), launching what would become a central axis of his public life.
From soldier to commander
Buhari’s military training took him across continents. He trained at Mons Officer Cadet School in the United Kingdom and later at the U.S. Army War College. Rising quickly through the ranks, he was thrust into national prominence as one of the youngest officers during the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970), serving with distinction on the Federal side.
In 1975, under General Murtala Mohammed’s revolutionary government, Buhari was appointed as Military Governor of the defunct North-Eastern State. A year later, he became Federal Commissioner (Minister) for Petroleum and Natural Resources in the Obasanjo military regime, overseeing the early formation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). These roles not only positioned him as a key player in national administration but introduced him to the complexities of governance, oil wealth, and bureaucracy.
1983: From coup to command
By the early 1980s, Nigeria’s Second Republic was engulfed in corruption, mismanagement, and economic decline under President Shehu Shagari. On December 31, 1983, a military coup ousted Shagari’s government, ushering in Buhari as the new Head of State. The nation, exhausted by civilian excesses, initially welcomed the change.
Buhari’s regime launched the iconic yet controversial War Against Indiscipline (WAI). It was a campaign that demanded queues at bus stops, punctuality in offices, and nationalistic fervour from citizens. In the realm of public morality and anti-corruption, Buhari’s government was firm—sometimes brutally so. Politicians from the ousted civilian regime were arrested and jailed, with some handed decades-long sentences under military tribunals.
But the zeal came at a price. The regime passed retroactive laws that led to the execution of drug offenders, detained journalists without trial, and introduced decrees that curbed press freedom. Critics accused Buhari of human rights violations and autocracy. Notable among the dark episodes was the attempted abduction of exiled ex-minister Umaru Dikko from London—a failed operation that stained Nigeria’s international reputation.
After just 20 months in power, Buhari was toppled in another coup led by General Ibrahim Babangida in August 1985. He would spend over three years in solitary detention, a period that shaped his later worldview with a mix of bitterness and reflection.
The long road back: from detention to democracy
For much of the 1990s, Buhari kept a low profile, occasionally surfacing to speak against corruption or take up national assignments, such as leading the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) under the regime of General Sani Abacha. The PTF implemented several infrastructural projects but was later criticised for lack of transparency.
With the return of civilian rule in 1999, Buhari emerged as a civilian political figure, running for president under the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in 2003. Though he lost to Olusegun Obasanjo, he had found a new base among the northern masses who saw him as a man of integrity and simplicity.
He ran again in 2007 and 2011, losing both times. After the 2011 loss, Buhari declared he would not run again. But growing national frustration over the Jonathan administration’s handling of security and corruption would draw him back into the fray.
2015: The civilian triumph
In 2013, Buhari merged his Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) with other opposition parties to form the All Progressives Congress (APC). Riding on the slogan “Change” and buoyed by support from both the North and segments of the South-West, Buhari won the 2015 presidential election—defeating incumbent Goodluck Jonathan in what became a landmark moment in Nigeria’s democratic history.
His presidency came with high expectations. Nigerians expected a bold war against corruption, an end to Boko Haram insurgency, and economic recovery. The early months of his presidency, however, were marked by policy inertia, delayed ministerial appointments, and worsening economic conditions.
In 2016, Nigeria entered its first recession in decades. Boko Haram remained a persistent threat, albeit more territorially constrained. The naira depreciated, inflation soared, and foreign investment dwindled. Buhari’s defenders argued that he inherited a broken economy; critics said he lacked the economic vision to fix it.
Nonetheless, he was re-elected in 2019 for a second term, defeating Atiku Abubakar of the PDP.
Legacy of a two-term presidency
Buhari’s eight years in office presented a study in paradoxes. On the one hand, his government invested significantly in infrastructure: roads, railways, bridges, and airports. His administration launched social investment programmes like N-Power, the School Feeding Programme, and TraderMoni.
On the other hand, insecurity expanded from Boko Haram to include banditry in the North-West, farmer-herder crises in the Middle Belt, and secessionist agitations in the South-East. The EndSARS protests in 2020 revealed a generational disconnect between the government and Nigeria’s youth, many of whom saw Buhari as unresponsive and authoritarian.
His anti-corruption war yielded some symbolic victories but was criticised for targeting opposition figures disproportionately. Key appointees accused of corruption were shielded or quietly eased out without consequences. In the latter years, public disenchantment grew amid fuel scarcity, naira redesign chaos, and perceived aloofness from the President.
Retirement and reflection
On May 29, 2023, Buhari handed over to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, returning to his hometown of Daura. In his farewell speech, he claimed he had “done his best” and asked Nigerians for forgiveness where he fell short.
Today, Buhari remains an elder statesman. He receives visitors occasionally but largely avoids public political commentary. His silence has sparked speculation, especially amid growing economic hardship and political realignments in the country.
Muhammadu Buhari’s life encapsulates Nigeria’s quest for discipline, justice, and leadership in the face of diversity, complexity, and fragility. To his admirers, he represents incorruptibility, national unity, and sacrifice. To his critics, he personifies missed opportunities, selective justice, and a leadership style that struggled to adapt to democratic expectations.
His journey—from military commander to elected president—is a rare one in Africa. But even rarer is a legacy as hotly debated as his. Whether history will be kind to Muhammadu Buhari may depend less on how he ruled, and more on what comes after him.
