On Sunday, July 13, 2025, Muhammadu Buhari, former President of Nigeria and one of the most polarizing figures in the nation’s modern history, passed away in London at the age of 82. His death, confirmed by Nigerian authorities, followed a lengthy battle with illness, widely reported to be leukaemia.
Buhari’s life traced a dramatic arc—from a strict military ruler in the 1980s to a democratically elected president who promised change but left behind a mixed legacy.
From Soldier to Strongman
Born on December 17, 1942, in Daura, in present-day Katsina State, Buhari joined the Nigerian military at a young age. He rose swiftly through the ranks, eventually becoming a key player in the succession of coups that shaped post-independence Nigeria.
In 1983, following the ousting of a democratically elected government amid claims of widespread corruption, Major General Muhammadu Buhari took power as Head of State. His 20-month military regime (1983–1985) was marked by strict discipline, mass arrests, and controversial decrees that gagged the press and curtailed civil liberties. Though credited for a fierce anti-corruption stance, his rule was also condemned for human rights abuses and economic hardship.
In 1985, Buhari was overthrown in a coup led by General Ibrahim Babangida.
Return as a Democrat
After years in political obscurity and unsuccessful presidential bids, Buhari staged a historic comeback in 2015, defeating incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan. This was a landmark moment in Nigerian democracy — the first peaceful transfer of power from one elected president to another from a different political party.
As president, Buhari ran on a platform of anti-corruption, national security, and economic revival. He vowed to root out systemic graft, defeat the Islamist insurgency in the northeast, and reboot a struggling economy heavily reliant on oil.
Legacy of Mixed Achievements
Buhari’s two-term presidency (2015–2023) is widely seen as a period of unfulfilled promise. While he succeeded in prosecuting some corrupt officials and recovering stolen assets, critics say his anti-corruption war was selective and politically motivated.
The fight against Boko Haram and other militant groups dragged on, with thousands still displaced by violence in the country’s northeast. Nigeria’s economy suffered multiple recessions, worsened by falling oil prices and COVID-19 disruptions.
Public dissatisfaction reached a boiling point during the #EndSARS protests in 2020, when young Nigerians marched against police brutality and lack of reform. Buhari’s administration responded with silence and force, fueling outrage at home and condemnation abroad.
Death in Exile, Reflection at Home
Buhari reportedly spent his final months undergoing treatment in London, a controversial echo of his many overseas medical trips during his presidency that sparked criticism over transparency and accessibility.
Despite the controversies, Buhari’s supporters remember him as a stoic leader, a man of modest lifestyle, and someone who stood apart from Nigeria’s often flamboyant political class. His detractors recall a presidency marked by missed opportunities, shrinking civic space, and economic struggle.
His death has prompted both mourning and soul-searching in Nigeria—a country still grappling with the promises and pitfalls of democracy.
Final Words
Muhammadu Buhari was not just a man of his time, but a symbol of the tension between order and freedom, discipline and democracy. In death, as in life, he continues to divide opinion. Yet no one can deny his impact on the Nigerian nation—a presence felt across military barracks, ballot boxes, and the halls of power.
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