Muhammadu Buhari was the rarest of individuals to grace political life anywhere in the world: an incorruptible servant of the people. He was not motivated by pride, or by riches, the accumulation of which repelled him. He was drawn to public service, discipline, and patriotism, and the unity of Nigeria as a one nation and one idea.
In his long service, first in the military he campaigned to keep Nigeria as a single country, and later briefly holding the position of head of state, he fought to tackle rampant corruption.
Later, as a converted democrat after the return of elections in 1999, he campaigned relentlessly to liberate Nigeria from becoming what he feared would be an elected, but corrupted, one-party state. Without Buhari’s refusal to back down, the disparate democratic opposition may never have united, and there would be no true multi-party system in Nigeria today.
Once that unity was achieved, Buhari – who else? – was chosen as the opposition’s flagbearer. In 2015 he became the first candidate to win election over an incumbent, for Nigeria the first-time power changed hands peacefully between the victor and vanquished.
His two terms in elected office coincided with worldwide economic challenges, and the threat from terrorism in the Sahel. He tackled both, creating new and welcome welfare programmes, and decisively breaking the power of Boko Haram. Facing down accusations of favouring the north, he created ranches for northern herders to protect the livelihoods of southern farmers, saving lives and fostering better relations.
A deeply religious man, he was the opposite of partisan – enlisting a southern pastor as his two-time running-mate and regularly writing about Christianity and its relations with his own Muslim faith. After assuming office, he struck up a lasting friendship with the Archbishop of Canterbury, with tolerance and modesty as well as religious fervour being attributes they shared.
After retiring from office, he returned to his farm and tended to his cattle, staying scrupulously out of the public eye and away from politics – always and intentionally refusing to comment. It was more important for this modest man to give a wide berth to his successor than to express any opinion, believing intervention in political affairs by ex-leaders was rarely merited, and more often a sign of a vanity he would never personally countenance.
Muhammadu Buhari led a life full enough for many men. He will be remembered best by his own words: “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody”. He was the best of Nigeria, and we are all less without him.
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