Buhari: The Quiet End of a Loud Chapter
By Idris Umar Feta
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: “Do not revile the dead, for they have already attained what they put forward.”
Fear Allah. His mercy is not ours to withhold or distribute. The one who has passed on has completed their journey. We are the ones still walking this path of trials, with much to amend and account for.
It is not our place to dig up the faults of the dead. We must focus instead on fixing our own souls before it is our turn to be remembered.
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Drawing from this teaching, and given our reputation as a religious nation, I cannot help but wonder why so many find comfort or pleasure in mocking the dead. After all, none of us holds the keys to paradise or hell—whether for friend or foe.
But death, in all its silence, teaches the living. It is unrivalled, inevitable and unquestionable. Those who try to make sense of it never succeed, for it is a mystery every soul must taste, whether sick or healthy, mighty or lowly.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari has now gone the way of all mortals. And whether one admired him or opposed him, we cannot erase the fact that he led Nigeria according to his convictions.
We may argue endlessly about what he did or failed to do, but history will not be written in monochrome.
He introduced policies that still shape lives today. The Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, for instance, boosted rice production and gave many farmers renewed dignity.
And while his administration weathered recessions, high inflation, and a spike in unemployment, there are Nigerians today who genuinely miss what his leadership offered—if only because of what we endure now.
Security was a stubborn battle. But no one can deny that Buhari’s government reclaimed many areas in the North-East that had once fallen completely to Boko Haram, especially the 17 local governments under siege before his tenure.
He believed in infrastructure. His government signed Executive Order 7 in 2019, opening the door for private-sector investment in road development.
In 2021, he launched InfraCorp with a seed fund of N1 trillion. That initiative aimed to raise N14 trillion more in capital for infrastructure expansion.
The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the Second Niger Bridge, and the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway were all key projects under his watch.
We also recall that oil prices crashed globally in 2015, reaching as low as $19 per barrel. This was a storm no single man could control. And still, during those years, fuel was sold for N189 per litre in Nigeria.
He resisted pressure from oil-sector cabals to remove subsidies. He stood with the masses. Today, we live with the consequences of a reversed decision.
His followers saw him as a man of integrity. They called him “Mr. Integrity.” And when he said at his inauguration in 2015, “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody,” it struck a chord.
He made history as the first opposition candidate to unseat an incumbent president. He was re-elected in 2019 and stepped down peacefully in 2023.
Under his rule, life was far from perfect. But essential goods were not as wildly unaffordable as they are now. Ordinary Nigerians could still afford basic meals. For that alone, some will remember Buhari kindly.
He was a towering figure. Both as a military ruler and a democratically elected president, he left his mark. His simplicity, in private, was disarming. I remember meeting him in Daura in 2007.
It was the first time I ever shook hands with a former president. We sat in his living room. He had been expecting us. There were no airs, no show. That kind of humility is rare in our part of the world.
And from the outpouring of tributes, you can see how deeply he touched lives. President Tinubu captured it aptly when he said: “Buhari stood firm through the most turbulent times, leading with quiet strength, profound integrity, and an unshakable belief in Nigeria’s potential.”
Former Katsina Governor Aminu Masari said, “He was like a strong wall we were leaning against, and that wall has collapsed.” Governor Radda added: “For the past two years, I visited him every two to three weeks.
“I learnt so much from him. His humour was unmatched. Time with him was always full of laughter.”
Before all this, Buhari had once ruled Nigeria as a military leader from 1984 to 1985. His “War Against Indiscipline” campaign defined that era. Some called it harsh, others called it necessary.
But however we choose to see him now, the truth is that Muhammadu Buhari shaped the Nigeria we live in today. The verdict on his legacy will vary. But no one can say he did not serve, or that he did not leave his imprint on our national story.
Now, he belongs to the ages.
May Allah forgive him, pardon his shortcomings, and grant him Aljannatul Firdaus. May He also forgive those who have gone before us, and show us mercy when our own time comes.
Sai mun zo, Baba Buhari.
Idris Umar Feta can be reached at: findarumar@gmail.com.
