Muhammadu Buhari's legacy: higlight of his presidential tenure

Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who served the nation twice as both a military leader and a democratic president, passed away at the age of 82, according to his press secretary on Sunday.

Buhari died in London on Sunday, where he had been undergoing medical treatment.

He initially seized power in Africa’s most populous country in 1983 following a military coup, establishing an authoritarian regime until he was removed by fellow soldiers less than 20 months later.

When he was elected in 2015 on his fourth attempt, he became the first opposition candidate to win a presidential election in Nigeria.

Buhari ascended to power in that election amid a wave of public support after pledging to eliminate chronic corruption and address a severe security crisis.

He remained in office until 2023, a period characterized by Boko Haram's extremist violence in the northeast and a declining economy.

Current President Bola Tinubu described Buhari in a statement as “a patriot, a soldier, a statesman ... to the very core.” Tinubu sent the vice president to retrieve Buhari's body from London.

Others across Nigeria remembered Buhari as a president who left the nation of over 200 million people — split between a predominantly Muslim north and a Christian south — more divided than ever.

For many, Buhari will be associated with the memories of the 2020 youth protests against a police unit accused by human rights organizations and others of extrajudicial killings, torture, and extortion — as well as the deadly shootings of protesters by soldiers.

“The varied reactions to Buhari’s death, with some expressing muted disillusionment and others sadness, reflect the challenges of uniting a country and his failure to do so after decades in the public sphere,” remarked Afolabi Adekaiyaoja, a political scientist based in Abuja.

Hailing from Nigeria’s north, the tall, austere Buhari had pledged to eradicate extremist violence and tackle widespread corruption in one of Africa's largest economies and oil producers.

By the conclusion of his eight-year term, the goodwill he once enjoyed had turned into dissatisfaction.

An increasing number of Nigerians lost their lives due to escalating insecurity, while corruption proliferated within the government.