The Life and Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari (1942–2025)

Muhammadu Buhari was born on December 17, 1942, in Daura, Katsina State, Nigeria, into a Fulani family. His father, Mallam Hardo Adamu, was a Fulani chieftain, and his mother, Zulaihat, came from a family of traditional rulers.

He attended Daura and Mai’adua primary schools, then Katsina Middle School and Katsina Provincial Secondary School (now Government College Katsina). In 1962, he joined the Nigerian Army, undergoing officer training at the Nigerian Military Training College in Kaduna and later at the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, England.

Buhari’s military career was distinguished. He served as Second Lieutenant and Platoon Commander in Abeokuta, participated in Nigeria’s UN peacekeeping mission in Congo, and fought in the Nigerian Civil War. He rose to positions such as Military Secretary at Army Headquarters and Governor of the Northeastern State after the 1975 coup that toppled General Yakubu Gowon. From 1976 to 1978, he served as Federal Commissioner (Minister) for Petroleum and Natural Resources under General Olusegun Obasanjo, overseeing the creation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

On December 31, 1983, Buhari led the coup that overthrew the civilian government of President Shehu Shagari, citing corruption and economic mismanagement. As Nigeria’s military Head of State, he launched the War Against Indiscipline campaign, enforcing policies to promote orderliness and curb graft. His regime imposed strict economic measures and clamped down on political opposition and the press, leading to widespread criticism over human rights abuses. On August 27, 1985, he was removed in a palace coup led by General Ibrahim Babangida and was detained for nearly three years.

After his release, Buhari largely withdrew from public life until 1995 when General Sani Abacha appointed him Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), an agency that used oil revenues for infrastructure and health projects. Though the PTF was credited with improvements in roads and health services, it faced accusations of lack of transparency.

In 2002, Buhari entered politics, becoming a founding member of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). He contested unsuccessfully for President in 2003 and 2007 under the ANPP and again in 2011 under the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). In 2013, opposition parties merged into the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Buhari emerged as the party’s presidential candidate. In March 2015, he won the election, defeating incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan, marking Nigeria’s first democratic transfer of power from an incumbent to an opposition candidate.

As President, Buhari focused on fighting corruption, countering the Boko Haram insurgency, and managing economic challenges, including recession and fluctuating oil revenues. His government’s anti-corruption efforts were widely publicized but also criticized as selective by some opponents. In 2019, he was re-elected after defeating Atiku Abubakar and served a second term until May 29, 2023, when he handed over to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Buhari was married first to Safinatu Yusuf in 1971, and they had five children together. She died in 2006. He later married Aisha Halilu in 1989, with whom he also had five children. A devout Muslim known for his austere lifestyle and discipline, he remained a prominent figure in Nigerian public life.

Muhammadu Buhari died on July 13, 2025. His legacy remains complex: he was admired for his integrity and anti-corruption stance but also criticized for human rights concerns and economic hardship during his administration.