Muhammadu Buhari

Muhammadu Buhari (born 17 December 1942 in Daura, Katsina State) is a Nigerian retired major general whose political career spans both military and civilian governance. He first came to power on 31 December 1983 when a military coup ousted the elected government of Shehu Shagari. As head of state, Buhari launched the War Against Indiscipline (WAI) campaign and pursued aggressive anti-corruption measures, including the detention of many politicians from the Second Republic. His regime was itself overthrown in August 1985 by Ibrahim Babangida.

After decades out of power, Buhari ran unsuccessfully for the presidency in 2003, 2007, and 2011 before winning the 2015 general election as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). His victory over incumbent Goodluck Jonathan marked the first time in Nigerian history that an opposition candidate defeated a sitting president at the ballot box, and it was widely cited as a milestone for democratic consolidation in West Africa. He was re-elected in 2019, defeating Atiku Abubakar of the PDP.

Buhari's civilian presidency centered on three stated priorities: security, anti-corruption, and the economy. His tenure coincided with the continued insurgency by Boko Haram and the splinter group ISWAP in the northeast, recurrent farmer-herder conflicts in the Middle Belt, and the rise of banditry in the northwest. Economically, Nigeria entered recession in 2016 amid falling oil prices and again in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. His administration also oversaw Nigeria's accession to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the controversial 2020–2021 Twitter ban after the platform removed one of his posts.

He completed his constitutional two-term limit and handed power to Bola Ahmed Tinubu on 29 May 2023. Buhari died on 13 July 2025 in London.