Muhammadu Buhari

Muhammadu Buhari Biography / Profile

Muhammadu Buhari was born in Daura, Katsina State, Nigeria on December 17th, 1942, to Adamu Buhari and Zulaihat Buhari. He is a former Nigerian military leader and politician, who served as head of state between 1984 and 1985, and was elected Nigeria’s President on March 31st, 2015.

Muhammadu Buhari Age

Muhammadu Buhari is 81 years old.

Muhammadu Buhari Early Life

Buhari is the twenty-third child of his father, Adamu and was raised by his mother after his father died when he was about four years old. He went to Primary School in Daura and Mai’adua from 1948 to 1952, before proceeding to Katsina Middle School in 1953. He attended the Katsina Provincial Secondary School (now Government College Katsina) from 1956 to 1961. On graduation from Secondary School in 1961, he went to the Nigerian Military Training School, Kaduna in 1963.

Muhammadu Buhari Career

In October 1963, Buhari was sent to the officers’ Cadet School in Aldershot in the United Kingdom and was thereafter commissioned Second Lieutenant in 1963 and posted to the 2nd Infantry Battalion, Abeokuta as Platoon Commander in 1963. It was at the Abeokuta Garrison that the real traits of a great soldier were identified in the young man. From 1963 to 1964 he was sent for further training on the Platoon Commanders’ Course at the Nigerian Military College, Kaduna.

In 1965, he went for the Mechanical Transport Officers’ Course at the Army Mechanical Transport School in Borden, England. He went to the Defence Services’ Staff College, Wellington, India in 1973 and to the United States Army War College from June 1979 to June 1980.

He was involved in the military coup that ousted Yakubu Gowon in 1975 and was appointed military governor of North Eastern state (now Borno) that same year. He was appointed federal commissioner for petroleum resources by Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, who became military head of state when Gowon’s successor, Murtala Mohammed, was assassinated in 1976. By 1977 Buhari had become the military secretary at Supreme Military Headquarters, which was the seat of government. By September 1979 he had returned to regular army duties and commanded a division based in Kaduna. Although civilian government had returned to Nigeria in 1979 with the election of Shehu Shagari, dissatisfaction with dismal economic conditions and what the military perceived as corrupt politicians led to another military coup on December 31, 1983, and Buhari was chosen unanimously to be the new head of state.

Many of the economic problems that had existed under the Shagari administration also plagued the Buhari regime, and Buhari instituted austerity measures. He took a tough stance on corruption: during his tenure, hundreds of politicians and business officials were tried and convicted or awaited trial on corruption-related charges. His regime launched the “War Against Indiscipline,” a program which sought to promote positive values in Nigerian society, although authoritarian methods were sometimes used in the program’s implementation. In an effort to stop dissent against his policies, Buhari instituted restrictions on the press, political freedoms, and trade unionists.

Although many Nigerian citizens had initially welcomed Buhari’s efforts to root out corruption and improve societal values, the repressive measures employed by his regime, against a backdrop of continuing economic troubles, led to discontent. By August 1985 even the military had had enough, and on August 27 Major General Ibrahim Babangida took control of the government. Buhari was detained in Benin City but was released at the end of 1988.

In 2003 Buhari ran for president and was defeated by the incumbent, Olusegun Obasanjo of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)in an election which EU observers reported was marked by widespread irregularities. Buhari ran again in 2007 but was defeated by the PDP’s candidate, Umaru Yar’Adua, in an election that was strongly criticized by international observers as being marred by voting irregularities. Buhari also stood in the 2011 presidential election, which was praised for largely being transparent, free, and fair, but he again lost to the PDP’s candidate, incumbent Goodluck Jonathan.

In 2014 the All Progressives Congress (APC) party nominated Buhari to stand as its candidate in the 2015 presidential election. A practicing Muslim, in 2015 Buhari voiced support for Nigerians to observe the religion of their choice after in th past giving his full support for the total implementation of Sharia in the country. His reputation for being seemingly incorruptible and his military background made him an attractive candidate, whom many Nigerians hoped might be able to more effectively handle the threat posed by the Islamic militant group Boko Haram, whose violent acts had terrorized parts of the country in recent years. The March 28th presidential election had 14 candidates, although the real contest was seen as being between Buhari and Jonathan, who was again the PDP’s candidate. In what was Nigeria’s most closely fought election ever, Buhari garnered the most votes and declared victory. His victory marked the first time that the incumbent president had been defeated in Nigeria.

Muhammadu Buhari Personal Life

In 1971, Buhari got married to his first wife, the former first lady, Safinatu (nee Yusuf) Buhari. They had five children together. In 1988, Buhari and his first wife Safinatu got divorced. In December 1989, Buhari got married to his second and current wife Aisha (nee Halilu) Buhari. They also have five children together.

Muhammadu Buhari Awards

As president of Nigeria, Buhari holds the Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR). He holds other awards and medals including; Congo Medal (CM), Defence Service Medal (DSM), Defence Service Medal (Nigeria), General Service Medal (GSM), General Service Medal (Nigeria), Global Seal of Integrity (GSOI), Gran Collar De La Orden De La Independencia translated as Grand Collar of the Order of the Independence conferred on Buhari by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea at the Presidential Palace on March 14th, 2016, Loyal Service and Good Conduct Medal (LSGCM) and National Service Medal (NSM).