Muhammadu Buhari

His Excellency
Major General
Muhammadu Buhari
GCFR
Official portrait of Muhammadu Buhari as president of Nigeria
Official portrait, 2015
7th and 15th President of Nigeria
In office
29 May 2015 – 29 May 2023
Vice PresidentYemi Osinbajo
Preceded byGoodluck Jonathan
Succeeded byBola Tinubu
In office
31 December 1983 – 27 August 1985
as Military Head of State of Nigeria
Chief of StaffTunde Idiagbon
Preceded byShehu Shagari
Succeeded byIbrahim Babangida
Federal Minister of Petroleum Resources
In office
11 November 2015 – 29 May 2023
PresidentHimself
Minister of StateEmmanuel Ibe Kachikwu
Timipre Sylva
Preceded byDiezani Allison-Madueke
Succeeded byBola Tinubu
In office
March 1976 – June 1978
as Federal Commissioner of Petroleum and Natural Resources
Head of StateOlusegun Obasanjo
Governor of Borno State
In office
3 February 1976 – 15 March 1976
Head of StateMurtala Mohammed
Olusegun Obasanjo
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byMustapha Amin
In office
1 August 1975 – 3 February 1976
as Governor of the North-Eastern State
Head of StateMurtala Mohammed
Preceded byMusa Usman
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Personal details
Born (1942-12-17) 17 December 1942 (age 81)
Daura, Northern Region, British Nigeria
(now in Katsina, Nigeria)
Political partyAll Progressives Congress (2013–present)
Other political
affiliations
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1971; div. 1988)​
​
(m. 1989)​
Relations
Children
10
  • Zulaihat (deceased)
  • Fatima
  • Musa (deceased)
  • Hadiza
  • Safinatu
  • Halima
  • Yusuf
  • Zahra "Zarah"
  • Aisha
  • Amina
Alma mater
Occupation
  • Politician
  • military officer
AwardsList of honors and awards
Military service
Allegiance Nigeria
Branch/service Nigerian Army
Years of service1962–1985
Rank Major general
Battles/warsNigerian Civil War
Chadian–Nigerian War

Muhammadu Buhari GCFR (Hausa pronunciationⓘ; born 17 December 1942) is a Nigerian statesman who served as the president of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023.[2][3] A retired Nigerian Army major general, he served as the country's military head of state from 31 December 1983 to 27 August 1985, after taking power from the Shehu Shagari civilian government in a military coup d'état.[4][5] The term Buharism is used to describe the authoritarian policies of his military regime.[6][7]

Buhari ran for president of Nigeria on the platform and support of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in 2003 and 2007, and on the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) platform in 2011.[8] In December 2014, he emerged as the presidential candidate of[9] the All Progressives Congress party for the 2015 general election.[10] Buhari won the election, defeating incumbent President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.[11] This was the first time in the history of Nigeria that an incumbent president lost a re-election bid. He was sworn in on 29 May 2015. In February 2019, Buhari was re-elected, defeating his closest rival, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, by over 3 million votes.[12][13][14]

  1. ^ Paden, John (2016). Muhammadu Buhari: The Challenges of Leadership in Nigeria. Roaring Forties Press. ISBN 978-1-938901-64-5.
  2. ^ "Muhammadu Buhari | Biography & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 29 May 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  3. ^ "President Buhari's inaugural speech on May 29, 2015". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 29 May 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  4. ^ "Military Regime of Buhari and Idiagbon, January 1984 – August 1985". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  5. ^ Max Siollun (October 2003). "Buhari and Idiagbon: A Missed Opportunity for Nigeria". Dawodu.com. Archived from the original on 6 April 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  6. ^ Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (22 July 2002). "Buharism: Economic Theory and Political Economy". Lagos. Archived from the original on 12 March 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  7. ^ Mohammed Nura (14 September 2010). "Nigeria: The Spontaneous 'Buharism' Explosion in the Polity". Leadership (Nigeria). Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  8. ^ "The frustrations of Buhari from 2003 to 2011". Vanguard News. 12 December 2016. Archived from the original on 1 October 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  9. ^ "Nigeria election: Muhammadu Buhari wins presidency". BBC News. 1 April 2015. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  10. ^ "Buhari in historic election win, emerges Nigeria's President-elect | Premium Times Nigeria". 31 March 2015. Archived from the original on 1 October 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  11. ^ "Muhammadu Buhari". The Muslim 500. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  12. ^ "UPDATED: Buhari wins second term". Punch Newspapers. 27 February 2019. Archived from the original on 6 September 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  13. ^ Stephanie Busari and Aanu Adeoye, for (27 February 2019). "Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari reelected, but opponent rejects results". CNN. Archived from the original on 1 October 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  14. ^ "Nigeria's Buhari wins re-election, rival pursues fraud claim". Reuters. 27 February 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2023.