The Complex Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari's Presidency in Nigeria

Muhammadu Buhari, a decorated military leader and later democratically elected president, left behind a mixed legacy after serving as Nigeria's Head of State from 2015 to 2023. Buhari won the presidency twice, first in 2015 and again in 2019, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). His campaign centered on tackling corruption, improving security, and reviving the economy. While his administration made progress in infrastructure development and social welfare programs, critics argue that his tenure was marred by security challenges, economic struggles, and human rights concerns.

Key Takeaways:

• Buhari's presidency was marked by a mixed bag of successes and failures. While his administration made strides in infrastructure development and social welfare programs, it was criticized for its handling of security challenges, particularly the Boko Haram insurgency, and economic struggles, including a recession.
• Buhari's authoritarian approach, including the detention of political opponents and restrictions on press freedom, drew criticism. His regime was overthrown in a 1985 coup led by Ibrahim Babangida.
• In the build-up to the 2015 elections, former President Olusegun Obasanjo de-marketed incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan in the international community, contributing to undermining the fortunes of the PDP.
• In 2019, Buhari asked Atiku Abubakar not to run for the presidency, just as he had forgiven the PDP for the mistakes of 2015.
• Buhari's physical presence at the Tinubu's 10th colloquium, held in Lagos, was seen as an icing on the cake in the new found political romance between Buhari and Tinubu at the time, ahead of 2019 presidential election.
• His tenure as a democratically elected President witnessed some controversial policies and actions, including the Zaria massacre and the detention of Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.
• Buhari's administration also faced criticism for its handling of the Lekki toll gate shootings, media repression, Twitter ban, suspension and removal of CJN Walter Onnoghen, currency redesign, and excessive printing of the naira.

Statistics:

• In 2003, Buhari polled 12, 710, 022 votes against Olusegun Obasanjo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 24, 456, 140 votes.
• In 2015, Buhari polled 15, 424, 921 votes, against Jonathan's 12, 853,162 votes.
• In 2019, Buhari polled 15, 191, 847 votes against Atiku's 11, 262, 978.
• The Nigerian Army under Buhari's command had a confrontation with the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) in 2015, resulting in hundreds of deaths.
• The Buhari administration unilaterally shut down Nigeria's land borders in 2019, particularly with Benin Republic, without any contingency measures and was heavily criticized for violating ECOWAS trade protocols.

Sources:

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