It is not in doubt that many of us had the impression of a Buhari as a leader driven by genuine concern for the nation’s welfare, one naturally reinforced by his lifestyle and personal conduct. Unlike many political figures who accumulated wealth and lived ostentatiously even under his watch, Buhari’s approach to life contrasted such and combined with his military background and reputation for integrity, created a unique political persona that resonated with millions of Nigerians who had grown weary of corruption and misgovernance.
Sadly his war against corruption was much truncated with Nigerians not getting much the results they had been promised. First, certain persons in the Buhari administration tinkered with the administration’s resolve by using their office to shield or frustrate attempts to properly prosecute those with charges of corruption. Likewise, the courts rather than serve as grounds for obtaining justice gave those charged adjournments, entertained frivolous appeals, and allowed one or two technicalities to determine cases with judgements that let off one too many persons who siphoned the nation’s resources.
On insecurity, Buhari had talked tough whilst campaigning in 2015, on assumption of office the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast had reached alarming proportions, with the terrorist group controlling significant territory and creating a humanitarian crisis. The administration’s military strategy, combined with improved intelligence gathering and regional cooperation, succeeded in degrading Boko Haram’s capabilities significantly. While the group remained a threat throughout his tenure, the restoration of government authority over previously lost territories represented a meaningful achievement.
However, Buhari’s presidency also witnessed the emergence of new security challenges, including escalating farmer-herder conflicts, banditry in the Northwest, and separatist agitations in the Southeast. These multifaceted security issues proved more complex than anticipated, revealing the limitations of purely military solutions to problems with deep socioeconomic roots. The administration’s response to these challenges was often criticized as inadequate or biased, highlighting the difficulty of governing a diverse nation with competing interests and historical grievances.
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The economy served as Buhari’s most complex challenge. His administration inherited an economy heavily dependent on oil revenues and facing significant structural imbalances. The commitment to economic diversification, while conceptually sound, faced implementation challenges that limited its effectiveness. The administration’s emphasis on infrastructure development, particularly in transportation and power generation, represented genuine attempts to address fundamental constraints on economic growth.
Also the introduction of social intervention programs, including conditional cash transfers and school feeding programs, demonstrated awareness of the need to address poverty and inequality directly. However, economic growth remained sluggish for much of his tenure, unemployment increased, and Nigeria experienced two recessions. Critics argued that some economic policies, particularly the administration’s approach to exchange rate management and trade restrictions, hindered rather than helped economic recovery.
An honest assessment of Buhari’s life as an officer, military ruler, politician and civilian president must acknowledge that despite his good intentions for the Nigerian people he by virtue of being first a human had significant shortcomings. Again, the man was unjustly perceived as an ethnic and religious bigot and some of his actions lent credence to them such as his appointments in office as a civilian leader and some of his utterances, however to cast Muhammadu Buhari in such mould is to be unfair to a man who in the aftermath of the civil war treated his Biafran comrades at arms with the utmost form of dignity and this was at the height of the war, one who looked twice to the SouthEast region whilst shopping for running mates and one who gave every region a sense of belonging in his eight years.
Buhari’s approach to civil liberties and press freedom as a military head of state contrasted deeply with his time as civilian president, though there were a few infringements the general on much occasions played by the rule book.
Despite these challenges, Buhari’s presidency left a substantial infrastructure legacy that will benefit Nigeria for decades. The completion of major railway projects, including the Lagos-Ibadan and Abuja-Kaduna rail lines, represented significant achievements in transportation infrastructure. I cannot forget to mention the Second Niger Bridge and a number of interventions by the Buhari administration in the SouthEast region, this is a bridge that the Obasanjo, Yar Adua and Jonathan administrations had gyrated about for 16 years with little or nothing to show for it , a man unfairly trolled as a hater of the Igbo nation started and completed in eight years. Similarly, improvements in power generation capacity and the construction of roads and bridges across the country created a foundation for future economic growth.
The administration’s focus on agriculture, while not achieving all its objectives, helped reduce Nigeria’s dependence on food imports and improved food security in several sectors. The Anchor Borrowers’ Programme and other agricultural initiatives demonstrated a recognition that economic diversification required deliberate policy interventions and sustained investment.
What ultimately distinguished Buhari’s presidency was the consistency between his personal values and his public service. Throughout his tenure, there were no credible allegations of personal enrichment or corruption against him personally. This integrity, while sometimes accompanied by rigidity in policy implementation, established a standard of conduct that contrasted sharply with many of his predecessors.
Future leaders can learn from both Buhari’s successes and failures. His anti-corruption efforts showed the importance of institutional reform, while his communication challenges highlighted the need for better public engagement. His infrastructure achievements demonstrated what focused government investment could accomplish, while his economic struggles revealed the importance of comprehensive policy coordination.
The man who repeatedly sought the presidency out of genuine concern for Nigeria’s welfare, who maintained his integrity throughout his tenure, and who ultimately respected democratic norms by peacefully transferring power, leaves a legacy that transcends partisan politics. Muhammadu Buhari may not have solved all of Nigeria’s problems, but he approached them with sincerity and determination that future leaders would do well to emulate. His greatest contribution may ultimately be the demonstration that principled leadership, even with its limitations, remains possible in Nigerian politics.