Tribute to the man who was never my friend -Muhmmado Buhari: …

I start this piece with a sensational quote: “The story will be kind to me, because I intend to write it”. – Winston Churchill

On July 13, 2025, the world witnessed the disappearance of one of the most iconic and controversial figures of Nigeria: Muhammadu Buhari, former chief of military state, former democratically elected president, soldier, farmer, disciplinary and statesman. His departure marks the end of a long and complex chapter of the political evolution of Nigeria, which will certainly be debated, analyzed and remembered for the generations.

In reflecting on his life, we find ourselves face to face with a simple truth: the heroes are never perfect! They are not sculpted in impeccable marble. They are, like all of us, humans, defined not only by their triumphs, but also by their deficiencies.

● The soldier who entered history!

Born on December 17, 1942, in Daura, in the state of Katsina, Buhari’s early childhood was marked by simplicity and discipline. He joined the Nigerian army at a young age, rapidly increasing in ranks due to a reputation of diligence and a commitment for duty. As a state military leader from 1983 to 1985, Buhari became known for his war against indisciplines (Wai), a campaign that left a lasting sign on Nigerian civic culture even if it was insinuated that Tunde idiagbon, now also late, was instrumental!

Although his first mandate had been interrupted by a coup, many would come to romanticly romanticly as an order in a country that flocked perpetually with chaos.

● The boy returning to civil clothes

After decades of political desert, Buhari shocked the world when he returned to this time through the ballot boxes-po made the president democratically elected by Nigeria in 2015 and re-elected in 2019. This made him a rare political phoenix: a military sovereign who turned into a leader elected into a deeply polarized democracy.

His crusade anti -corruption, the safety commitments and the image of modesty have appealed to millions, in particular the poor, the rural and forgotten. He embodied the desire for leadership with moral clarity, even if the reality of governance has proven to be much more complicated.

● A legacy of contrasts

For some, Buhari was a revolutionary reformer, to others, a stubborn autocrates. His administration has supervised enormous infrastructure projects, agricultural efforts and targeted social investment programs. He supported the local content, attempted to clean up the corruption of the oil sector and gave Nigerians a renewed sense of national identity.

Adieu, my boss; Enjoy your well -deserved rest, by Prince Clem Agba

● But the cracks were also visible.

Under his watch, the nation fought with growing inflation, unemployment and insecurity. Banditry and terrorism persisted. Many critics have accused his administration of nepotism, poor communication and bad economic management. His style of spacer leadership has often left the Nigerians to feel unprecedented during the moments of national pain.

Yet even in criticism, one could perceive reluctant respect for man who, rightly or mistakenly, always believed that he was doing what was best for Nigeria.

● The man behind the mask

Muhammado Buhari was more than a simple politician. She was a father, a husband and a devotee Muslim whose personal integrity was rarely questioned, even by the opponents. His austere lifestyle, the refusal of accumulating personal wealth and the discipline fascinated him to those who tired of the corrupt and Nigeria elite.

He was a man of silence and loneliness, but he endured the burden of public control. He did not often smile, but when he did it, he reminded us that there was a quiet soul under the armor.

● gone, but not forgotten

Now that it is gone, the story must take a step forward to judge, calm and without feeling.

Buhari’s life was a mirror of the struggles of Nigeria: noble aspirations that collided with hard realities. He tried. Sometimes he failed. He managed to others. But above all, he served. And in a land where power is so often used for self-enrichment, the service-for how much the bundle is a legacy that is worth noting.

● In the end …

Heroes are never perfect. They stumble, cum, age. But what distinguishes them is their will to respond to the call of history, regardless of the cost.

Muhammado Buhari replied to that call, not once, but twice.

He begged his widow, Aishat Buhari to pray to forgive him because he was in the end, not a president but a simple mortal.

They may be right to be right.
May the story be right.
And it may be its soul to rest in peace!

● Engr Olawale K Okunade is a professional registered engineer

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