When former President Muhammadu Buhari died in London at the age of 82, official condolences poured in from those who once benefitted from his years in power. But history, unlike politics, does not offer polite eulogies. It records, recalls, and reminds. And history will remember Buhari not as the man he promised to be, but as the leader whose two tenures military and civilian left Nigeria poorer, more fractured, and dangerously adrift.
The Clone Controversy: A Legacy of Distrust
Buhari’s final years were shrouded in as much confusion as his presidency. Following his death, the old rumour that he was “cloned” replaced by a Sudanese lookalike named Jubril resurfaced with disturbing force. This bizarre theory, which first emerged during his first civilian term in 2018, stemmed from the opacity around his health and prolonged absences abroad. Official spokesmen, including Garba Shehu, once blamed rats for Buhari’s relocation from the presidential office a metaphor, perhaps, for how rodents weren’t the only pests gnawing at the country’s foundation.
While the cloning theory was outlandish, the secrecy around his medical condition, coupled with conflicting public appearances and diminished engagement, fanned the flames of suspicion. Buhari may not have been Jubril, but his leadership distant, aloof, and often incoherent left many wondering if the man they elected ever truly governed.
Power, Personal Scandals, and Domestic Dysfunction
Buhari’s personal life also invited public speculation. Noted columnist Farooq Kperogi alleged that Buhari was divorced from his wife, Aisha, before his death an accusation later walked back, but never denied outright. The rift between the First Lady and the presidency’s shadowy “cabal” was no secret. Aisha Buhari publicly decried the grip of unelected actors who hijacked her husband’s administration, describing her husband as a stranger in his own government.
Even more striking is the account of Buhari allegedly divorcing his first wife shortly after she interceded on his behalf with then military ruler Ibrahim Babangida. Her “mistake”? Advocating for his release. It was a personal episode that mirrored the harsh, transactional nature of his governance style: loyalty demanded, empathy withheld.
The Promise That Became a Plague
In 2015, Buhari returned to power on a wave of national optimism. He was perceived as a disciplined, incorruptible figure who would purge the system, restore order, and uplift Nigeria. Instead, his presidency became a cautionary tale of unfulfilled promises, economic decline, and moral abdication.
Nigeria under Buhari suffered two economic recessions and saw its GDP per capita collapse from $3,265 in 2014 to just $807 in 2025. The national debt surged, youth unemployment soared, and poverty deepened. Far from lifting the country, Buhari’s administration left it shackled to a legacy of fiscal irresponsibility and squandered opportunities.
Insecurity: From Boko Haram to a National Nightmare
Perhaps the most damning indictment of Buhari’s presidency lies in his catastrophic handling of national security. When he took office, the insurgency threat was largely confined to Boko Haram in the northeast. By the time he left, Nigeria had transformed into a nation besieged from all sides.
Bandits, terrorists, and armed herdsmen operated with impunity. From the Abuja-Kaduna train abduction to the mass kidnapping of schoolchildren, Buhari’s government appeared indifferent or impotent. Communities across the country paid ransoms, fled ancestral lands, or buried their dead all under a government elected to protect them.
In the South-East, rather than de-escalate tensions with tact and empathy, the Buhari administration deployed brute force. Peaceful agitation curdled into violent resistance, and the arrest of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu in defiance of court rulings only deepened the crisis.
The Wasted Opportunity
Buhari had the chance to redefine Nigerian politics. He was loved across tribal, religious, and regional lines. His early campaign saw Nigerians voluntarily donate to his cause a rare moment of national unity and civic engagement. But instead of building transparent institutions, he entrenched patronage politics. Instead of reducing government waste, he presided over inflated budgets, excessive foreign travel, and the same old elite indulgences.
He could have built world-class hospitals at home, yet died in a foreign clinic. He could have revolutionised public education, but appointed ministers whose children schooled abroad. He could have led by example but chose the comforts of the presidency over the courage of true leadership.
The Verdict of History
In the end, power is transient, and graves are inevitable. For all the bravado of his anti-corruption crusade, Buhari’s legacy is one of national regression, not redemption. He was twice a ruler and twice a ruiner. Nigeria did not emerge stronger or more united after him; it emerged poorer, angrier, and more distrustful.
Buhari may have promised to belong to “everyone and to no one,” but in the end, he served too few and failed too many.
Let those in power today and those who seek it tomorrow understand this: history is unkind to leaders who squander their people’s hope. At the end of all things, it all fits into a box. And the only thing that endures is the quality of the lives we touch or, as in Buhari’s case, the lives we scar.
