By: Fatimah Idera and Helen Okechukwu
It is no longer news that former President Muhammadu Buhari has died—tributes from dignitaries across all walks of life have poured in for the former military Head of State, who passed away in London on Sunday, 13 July, after a brief illness.
His death, however, sparked mixed reactions across the country, with one of his close allies, Farouk Aliyu, noting the wave of criticism and insults many Nigerians directed at the late president.
The New Daily Prime spoke to several Nigerians to gauge their views, revealing a broad spectrum of sentiments, ranging from admiration for his discipline to deep frustration over the hardships experienced during his administration.
Reflecting on Buhari’s legacy and what his death meant, Taofeek Imam, a web developer who resides in Abuja, described him as a legend who made significant efforts to reshape the nation.
Imam said he would remember Buhari for lifting the ban on the importation of international goods, which helped promote locally made products.
He also noted that Buhari’s administration deepened his understanding of Nigeria’s political system and its functioning across various sectors.
He said, “Some of the negativity, but I personally have no grudges against him following his death, I might have been hurt indirectly during his administration but all my grudges end the moment he dies.”
“Although I will remember him for his contribution in lifting a ban on importation of international goods and promoting the locally made ones. It was a reasonable decision from my end even though locally made products are not being well processed but then, this reduces importation of foods to promote our local ones.
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Moreover, Ibrahim Ghazali, a teacher and resident of Kwara State, stated that Buhari’s policies contributed to the naira’s devaluation and inflicted severe damage on businesses.
Similarly, Kazeem Munir, a student of Adekunle Ajasin University (AAUA) in Ondo State, criticised Buhari’s leadership style, describing it as ‘autocratic.’
He accused the former president of shattering the hopes of the people, alleging that his politics were marked by bigotry, nepotism, and tribalism.
“I could vividly remember the rate at wish Fulani herdsmen kill people in Ondo state ( Owo Town ) . It was so devastating that the inflation hit the economy during his tenure during the Lekki massacre where an outrageous number of people died without getting justice,” Munir lamented.
Abeeb Ajibade, a student of AAUA also acknowledged Buhari’s dedication to the fight against corruption, highlighting the recovery of over $300 million from the late Sani Abacha’s Swiss accounts and the establishment of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption.
“I remember him for raising hopes about tackling corruption but falling short of transformative change,” he said.
Abeeb also recalled that Buhari’s pledge to defeat Boko Haram achieved only limited success.
“While his administration achieved some successes, such as the release of some Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped in 2014, insecurity worsened overall as Boko Haram remained active, and new threats emerged, including banditry in the northwest, separatist violence in the southeast, and clashes between farmers and herders.”
He added that the heavy-handed response to the 2020 #EndSARS protests laid bare the administration’s intolerance of dissent.
“I will remember him for the unfulfilled promise of restoring security, as violence spread beyond the northeast, leaving many Nigerians feeling,” he said.
In the same vein, Adeyemi Adrat, a law student at Ladoke Akintola University (Lautech), Oyo State, described Buhari as a disciplined and patriotic leader whose life was deeply intertwined with Nigeria’s transition from military rule to democracy.
He commended Buhari’s infrastructural achievements, including the Second Niger Bridge, the Lagos-Ibadan railway, and strides in agriculture— while also acknowledging that economic instability, insecurity, and the EndSARS protests marred parts of his legacy.
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“His persona reflected an unwavering commitment to order, integrity, and anti-corruption, even when the results of his policies often sparked mixed reactions across the nation.”
Pain instead of change
For Ms Chisom Luke, a business woman and resident of Imo State, said Buhari was a distant leader. “He was calm but disconnected. His silence on pressing national issues spoke louder than words,” he said.
Echoing this sentiment, Ms Marvelous Wisdom, a trader and resident of Rivers State, stated that the Buhari administration exposed the country to experiences it had never faced before.
While describing the late president’s tenure as a ‘preparatory class for the worst economy’, he added that although Buhari promised change, his administration delivered pain through policies that were largely unfriendly to Nigerians.
Similarly, Yusuf Abdulbasit, a student of UNILORIN believed that Buhari had good intentions but was often misunderstood because of his leadership style.
According to him, ‘Buhari was human and bound to err’, noting that the former president’s silence during the ASUU strikes, the EndSARS protests, and the rise in insecurity was deeply painful.
“He is a human and they are expected to make mistake, this mistake made his tenure marked by pain for many of us but I will remember him for the silence during critical moments ASUU strikes that stole students’ time, EndSARS protests that cost lives, and the spread of insecurity,” he lamented.
For many, Buhari’s passing at 82— considered a “ripe age” by biblical standards — is not shocking, but a moment to assess a complicated legacy.
Adewale Sodiq, a trader from Lagos described the Buhari administration as one of the most corrupt Nigeria has ever witnessed.
“The 1983–85 regime was prudent but later interrupted by by General Ibrahim Babangida coup. His return in 2015 was to bring the change Nigerians wanted, sadly, from 2015 to 2023, his regime was one of the most corrupt Nigeria has witnessed. May Allah forgive his shortcomings and make Nigeria great again.”
A public analyst, Olaka Olaka, from Rivers State, reflected on Buhari’s first tenure in the 1980s, commending his War Against Indiscipline.
“Nigeria was made to know what discipline is. Then Nigeria started knowing what it means to queue before you can buy, or in a public gathering, there should be orderliness. Like you go to the bank, you have to queue. You go to the filling station, you have to queue, and you know all of that,” he noted.
However, Mr Olaka was candid in his assessment of Buhari’s second term.
“I will remember him for hardship, insecurity, and nepotism. The economy was at a standstill. Nigerians suffered untold hardship. Buhari is a symbol of bad governance,” he stated.
“It would have been a relief if he had died in office. Dying now as a former president is meaningless to me.”
“So I, as a Christian believer, would describe the death of Muhammadu Buhari as an inevitable experience. It’s something that would always come. Everybody is bound to die one day, and so I don’t really see anything new or strange in his death.”
Smith Nwokocha, a public interest advocate in Rivers State, offered a more measured perspective. “But the truth is this: unfortunately, he didn’t meet that expectation, right? There was so much hardship in his time. Nigerians struggled,” he said.
“People were so embittered. Even when he was leaving office, during the election period, we talked about the CBN crisis, naira change, and all that — a whole lot of things happened in that time. Yes, he’s a great man and he sustained democracy, which is a good part of him,” he said.
Nevertheless, Nwokocha acknowledged Buhari’s commitment to democratic principles. “He still maintained that democracy in his time. That is a good part. Also, he pushed for local government autonomy and fought for anti-corruption.”
Olaka, who served on a Special Public Works Committee, noted that although he never met Buhari, he felt the impact of his administration.
“There was no transparency in any election that was conducted under him. There was no electricity — the tariff was being increased every now and then, and the fuel price was being increased every now and then.”
“There was insecurity, and Nigerians were dying in their numbers on a daily basis. The herders-farmers clashes were not addressed until he left office. And so, if he were to be a listening president, he would have addressed it. Rather, the issue of land donation and open grazing was even being promoted,” he said.
