Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerian president and ex-military ruler, dies at 82
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Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari dies in London aged 82
Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has passed away at the age of 82. He reportedly died at a London hospital in the United Kingdom (UK) on Sunday, around 4:30 pm, while receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment. The former military ruler served as Nigeria’s democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023, completing two terms in office. He first led the country as military head of state between 1983 and 1985 after a coup, before being ousted.
Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has passed away at the age of 82.
Muhammadu reportedly died at a London hospital in the United Kingdom (UK) on Sunday, around 4:30 pm, while receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment.
Garba Shehu, Muhammadu’s long-time spokesperson, confirmed his passing in a statement on X on Sunday.
“The family of the former president has announced the passing of the former president, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, this afternoon in a clinic in London. May Allah accept him in Aljannatul Firdaus, Amin,” said Garba.
Shortly after, the Nigerian government similarly confirmed Muhammadu’s death, announcing that President Bola Tinubu had instructed Vice-President Kashim Shettima to travel to the UK to accompany his remains back to Lagos.
The Nigerian government added that Tinubu had personally spoken to Aishat Buhari, the late president’s widow, and conveyed his condolences.
“President Tinubu has announced the passing of his predecessor, President Muhammadu Buhari. President Buhari died today in London at about 4.30 pm, following a prolonged illness,” said Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President, in a statement on X.
“President Tinubu has spoken with Aishat Buhari, the former president’s widow and offered deep condolences. President Tinubu has also directed Vice-President Kashim Shettima to proceed to the United Kingdom to accompany Buhari’s body back to Nigeria.”
The former military ruler served as Nigeria’s democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023, completing two terms in office.
He first led the country as military head of state between 1983 and 1985 after a coup, before being ousted.
While he will be remembered for launching high-profile anti-corruption investigations, expanding Nigeria’s social investment programmes and stepping up the fight against Boko Haram in the northeast, his tenure was marred by persistent economic hardships and press freedom violations.
Nigeria’s former president Muhammadu Buhari, 82, dies in London
President Bola Tinubu has died at the age of 82. He was the first Nigerian president to die in office. He had been in office since 2007. His death is being treated as a natural death by the Nigerian government.
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“President Buhari died today in London … following a prolonged illness,” President Bola Tinubu’s spokesman said in a statement.
The spokesman said Tinubu had directed Vice-President Kashim Shettima and his chief of staff to travel to London to collect and accompany 82-year-old Buhari’s body back to Nigeria for burial.
A Muslim, Buhari was expected to be buried according to Muslim rites in his home state of northwestern Katsina, government officials said.
Buhari first led the country as a military ruler after a coup in the 1980s. He earned a devoted following for his brand of anti-corruption conviction politics.
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He referred to himself as a “converted democrat” and swapped his military uniform for kaftans and prayer caps.
Nigeria’s former president Muhammadu Buhari dies at 82
Nigeria’s former president Muhammadu Buhari has died at age 82, his press secretary said. He had been undergoing medical treatment in London. He first came to power in 1983 following a military coup, ruling with an iron grip until he was ousted. In 2015, after three failed attempts at the ballot box, he was elected president in a historic vote — the first time an opposition candidate won in Nigeria’s democratic history. His tenure was marred by worsening insecurity, economic mismanagement, and allegations of authoritarianism.
Buhari died in London, where he had been undergoing medical treatment.
The news marks the end of an era for Africa’s most populous country, where Buhari held a unique place in political history, having led both as a coup-installed ruler and later as an elected president.
He first came to power in 1983 following a military coup, ruling with an iron grip until he was ousted by fellow officers less than two years later.
In 2015, after three failed attempts at the ballot box, he was elected president in a historic vote — the first time an opposition candidate won in Nigeria’s democratic history.
He served two terms, stepping down in 2023.President Bola Tinubu paid tribute to Buhari, calling him “a patriot, a soldier, a statesman … to the very core.”Tinubu ordered Vice President Kashim Shettima to travel to London to accompany Buhari’s body back home.Public reactions to Buhari’s death were mixed. While some mourned his passing, others pointed to his controversial legacy, which many say left Nigeria more divided and economically strained.During his presidency, Buhari promised to eradicate Boko Haram terrorism, crack down on corruption, and stabilize Nigeria’s economy. But his tenure was marred by worsening insecurity, economic mismanagement, and allegations of authoritarianism.Although he claimed victory over Boko Haram in 2016, suicide bombings and mass abductions continued. Notably, dozens of the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped in 2014 were freed under his watch, but many others remain missing.His economic policies — including controversial currency controls — fueled inflation, foreign currency shortages, and a recession worsened by low oil prices and unrest in the oil-rich Niger Delta. His extended medical absences abroad, often shrouded in secrecy, drew criticism from citizens struggling with underfunded hospitals.As a military ruler in the 1980s, Buhari was known for his “war against indiscipline,” a campaign that saw government workers punished with public squats, and drug dealers executed.He expelled hundreds of thousands of immigrants and passed laws enabling detention without trial — actions that continue to cast a long shadow. — Agencies
Nigeria’s former President Muhammadu Buhari dies at 82
Buhari, a towering and often polarizing figure in Nigerian politics, had been battling an undisclosed illness in recent weeks. The presidency said his body will be returned to Nigeria for Muslim funeral rites. His short-lived first term in 1983 saw him adopt an aggressive anti-corruption campaign widely accused as repressive. About 500 political and civilian figures were detained, according to Nigeria media, including activists and journalists. He was ousted in a military coup by General Ibrahim Babangida less than two years later. Despite huge expectations, Buhari’s return from 2015-2023 was marked by disappointment, violence and dramatic economic decline. He also cast himself as a nationalist, ‘man of the people’, repeatedly saying “I belong to everybody and I belong to Nobody”
Nigeria’s former president and one-time military ruler, Muhammadu Buhari, has died at a hospital in London at the age of 82, a spokesperson confirmed Sunday.
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Buhari, a towering and often polarizing figure in Nigerian politics, had been battling an undisclosed illness in recent weeks. The presidency said his body will be returned to Nigeria for Muslim funeral rites.
His short-lived first term in 1983 saw him adopt an aggressive anti-corruption campaign widely accused as repressive. About 500 political and civilian figures were detained, according to Nigeria media, including activists and journalists, before he was ousted in a military coup by General Ibrahim Babangida less than two years later.
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His time as a military ruler saw him both lauded by some for being uncompromising and but widely criticized as a brutal and authoritarian leader. Nigeria’s Nobel Prize winning author, Wole Soyinka, who was imprisoned in an earlier military regime, described him as a devil in his 2006 memoirs “You Must Set Forth at Dawn”. In a play on the phrase “he who sups with the devil should have a long spoon”, he said of Buhari, “In my calculation no spoon existed long enough to justify the risk of even an impromptu snack.”
Yet public perception later shifted. After years spent as a mostly a peripheral figure and then opposition politician, he won a historic election in 2015 against President Goodluck Jonathan, when the ruling People’s Democratic Party were defeated for the first time since a return to democracy in 1999.
During the campaign, Buhari referred to himself as a “converted democrat” and returned to power amid widespread anger at corruption and insecurity – particularly the rampant Boko Haram insurgency in northeast Nigeria. He also cast himself as a nationalist, ‘man of the people’, repeatedly saying “I belong to everybody and I belong to Nobody.”
But despite huge expectations, Buhari’s return from 2015-2023 was marked by disappointment, violence and dramatic economic decline. Despite gains in the fight against Boko Haram, insecurity and violence spread across the country, stretching Nigeria’s underfunded security forces.
The country also suffered its first economic recession in decades and inflation soared to near record levels. His government was also dogged by corruption scandals and accusations of regional and ethnic factionalism.
His second time in power was also marked by ongoing and largely undisclosed health problems. During his presidency, Buhari spent more than 7 months on medical leave in London. In 2017, following one of his longest absences—during which he was reportedly diagnosed with amnesia linked to an unspecified condition—he said, “I couldn’t recall ever being this sick, not even during my time in the military… honestly, I can say that in my 70 years.”
Despite a fraught legacy, Buhari retained a loyal following, especially in Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim north, where he was seen as a modest, austere leader who did not enrich himself while in office.
Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari Dies at 82
Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s former president, has died at the age of 82. He was the first opposition candidate to defeat a sitting Nigerian president. He served as military Head of State and elected president during both military and democratic governments. His time in office focused on anti-corruption campaigns, infrastructure renewal, and national security, leading major projects such as the Second Niger Bridge. He is survived by his wife, Aisha, several children, grandchildren, and extended family. His death was confirmed by the Nigerian presidency this Sunday following his passing in a private clinic in London. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a three-day national mourning period and ordered flags to fly at half-mast.
His death was confirmed by the Nigerian presidency this Sunday following his passing in a private clinic in London.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a three-day national mourning period and ordered flags to fly at half-mast, describing Buhari’s death as the closing of a significant chapter in Nigeria’s public life.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has been dispatched to London to accompany the late president’s remains back to the country.
Born on December 17, 1942, in Daura, Katsina State, Buhari rose to national prominence through the military and became Nigeria’s Head of State in December 1983 after leading a coup that overthrew the civilian government of President Shehu Shagari.
His 20-month rule was defined by a strong anti-corruption stance and strict economic measures, but also faced criticism for authoritarianism and suppression of civil liberties before he was removed in a 1985 coup led by General Ibrahim Babangida.
He later returned to public service in the 1990s as Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund, overseeing infrastructure development projects funded by oil revenues.
Buhari contested the presidency multiple times before making history in 2015 when he was elected president under the All Progressives Congress, becoming the first opposition candidate to defeat a sitting Nigerian president.
He was re-elected in 2019 and served two terms, stepping down in May 2023.
In addition to serving as military Head of State and elected president, Buhari held several other key positions including Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources during both military and democratic governments, briefly served as Governor of Borno State in 1976 during a military restructuring, and led the Petroleum Trust Fund under the Abacha regime.
His time in office focused on anti-corruption campaigns, infrastructure renewal, and national security, leading major projects such as the Second Niger Bridge, airport upgrades, and rail expansion.
While praised for his discipline and personal integrity, his administration faced growing public frustration over economic instability, inflation, insecurity, and concerns about human rights and press freedom.
After leaving office, Buhari retired to his hometown in Daura, where he lived quietly and refrained from active political engagement, making only occasional public statements.
Reports of his deteriorating health had circulated in recent months, though his condition remained largely private until his passing.
The presidency has confirmed that arrangements are underway for a state burial with full national honors. He is survived by his wife, Aisha Buhari, several children, grandchildren, and extended family.
As the nation mourns, reactions to Buhari’s legacy remain deeply mixed.
Supporters regard him as a symbol of integrity and a stabilizing figure in times of uncertainty, while critics point to his economic and security record and the shrinking of democratic space under his leadership.
Nonetheless, Muhammadu Buhari leaves behind an indelible imprint on Nigeria’s political history, having served at nearly every level of national leadership over the course of five decades.