ABUJA, Nigeria (BN24) — Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who twice led Africa’s most populous nation as both a military ruler and a democratically elected leader, has died at age 82, his former spokesperson announced Sunday.
Buhari passed away Sunday afternoon in a London clinic, according to a statement released by Mallam Garba Shehu, who served as his press secretary during his presidency. Shehu confirmed that Buhari had been receiving medical treatment in the United Kingdom in recent weeks.
“The family of the former president has announced the passing on of the former president, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, this afternoon in a clinic in London,” Shehu said. “May Allah accept him in Aljannatul Firdaus.” Further details about the cause of death were not disclosed.
Buhari first rose to national prominence in 1983 when, as a military general, he seized power in a coup and led the country as head of state until he was deposed in another coup less than two years later. Decades later, after three unsuccessful runs for president, he made history in 2015 as the first opposition candidate to win Nigeria’s presidency at the ballot box, defeating incumbent Goodluck Jonathan.
He was re-elected in 2019 and served until 2023, when he was succeeded by President Bola Tinubu, a fellow member of the All Progressives Congress.
Buhari, a tall and austere figure from Nigeria’s largely Muslim north, came to power promising to end rampant corruption and quell the extremist violence that had spread across the country. But by the end of his eight-year tenure, he faced mounting criticism as insecurity deepened, the economy faltered, and public frustration grew.
Tinubu ordered flags flown at half-staff and directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to travel to London to oversee arrangements to bring Buhari’s body home.
When Buhari took office in 2015, he did so on a wave of goodwill and public hope that his military background and reputation as a disciplinarian would help restore order and accountability to the nation. However, the optimism that carried him to power eroded over time as deadly attacks by extremists and criminal gangs escalated, leaving thousands dead and millions displaced.
Buhari leaves behind a complicated legacy in Nigeria, one defined by the same struggles against violence and graft that shaped his early leadership four decades earlier.
AP/Punchng
