Muhammadu Buhari, a former Nigerian military ruler who later returned to power as an elected president, becoming one of Africa’s most consequential and controversial leaders, died on Sunday in London. He was 82.
The death was confirmed by his family and close associates. He had been receiving medical treatment in the United Kingdom in recent weeks.
Mr. Buhari’s career traced the arc of Nigeria’s modern political history: from the barracks to the presidential palace, through coups, elections, economic upheaval, and the relentless pursuit of national unity in a country deeply divided along ethnic, religious, and regional lines.
He first rose to national prominence in 1983, when, as a major general in the Nigerian Army, he led a military coup that overthrew the democratically elected government of President Shehu Shagari. At just 41 years old, Mr. Buhari became head of state of Africa’s most populous country.
His 20-month rule was marked by a strict campaign he called the "War Against Indiscipline," which sought to instill order in a society he deemed chaotic and corrupt. His military tribunal sentenced drug traffickers to death, jailed journalists without trial, and enforced laws mandating punctuality, cleanliness, and queuing in public spaces. Admirers saw in him a man of austere integrity; critics denounced his government as draconian.
In August 1985, he was himself ousted in a palace coup led by General Ibrahim Babangida. Detained for years and largely absent from public life during the 1990s, Mr. Buhari returned to national politics in the democratic era, repackaging himself as a civilian reformer.
After three failed attempts at the presidency, he achieved a historic victory in 2015, defeating incumbent Goodluck Jonathan in what was widely seen as Nigeria’s most credible election since independence. It was the first peaceful transfer of power from one elected leader to another from an opposing party.
Mr. Buhari promised to eradicate corruption and crush the Boko Haram insurgency that had ravaged Nigeria’s northeast. His administration claimed key victories against the militants and led anti-corruption investigations that resulted in the arrest of several high-profile officials. Still, insecurity persisted across vast swaths of the country, and critics accused his government of selective prosecutions, human rights abuses, and economic mismanagement.
During his two terms in office, Nigeria endured two economic recessions, rising inflation, and a surge in poverty. A 2018 report by the Brookings Institution declared Nigeria the world’s poverty capital, with more people living in extreme poverty than in any other nation.
Throughout his presidency, Mr. Buhari traveled frequently to London for medical treatment, sparking widespread speculation about his health and criticism about transparency.
Born on Dec. 17, 1942, in Daura, in Nigeria’s northern Katsina State, Muhammadu Buhari was one of more than 20 children. He was raised in a Fulani Muslim household after his father died when he was a young boy. He was educated locally before joining the military in 1961, studying in Nigeria and Britain and eventually rising through the ranks.
He served in various military and governmental roles, including as governor of the former North Eastern State and as federal commissioner (minister) for petroleum during the late 1970s, when Nigeria joined OPEC and established its national oil company.
Mr. Buhari was known for his Spartan lifestyle and a reputation for incorruptibility that made him both respected and polarizing. His political base remained strongest in northern Nigeria, where he enjoyed enduring popularity despite national controversies.
After leaving office in May 2023, handing power to his successor, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Mr. Buhari largely withdrew from political life, living quietly until his final illness.
He is survived by his wife, Aisha Buhari, and several children from two marriages. Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by the Nigerian government in the coming days.
Mr. Buhari’s legacy remains fiercely contested: to some, a disciplined patriot who fought for integrity in public life; to others, a flawed leader whose tenure failed to deliver on its most urgent promises. But few would dispute his outsized role in shaping Nigeria’s post-colonial trajectory, from barracks rule to ballot box legitimacy.
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Rest in perfect peace GCFR
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