Buhari has died at 82
A military head of state for a 20 months
Along with Idiagbon he tried to change the country the way he knew best
Friends and foes call him an honest spartan
A president for 8 years
He didn’t live up to the promise of a revolutionary
The man had an aversion for corruption
And leads a simple life
But as president he didn’t have the political nous
To steer the ship to the destination he probably wanted
He was surrounded by hyenas and jackals
He couldn’t stamp out insecurity
Poverty worsened
The old man was weary with illness
But minus COVID
Buhari last report card wouldn’t have been too bad
The whirlwind of COVID hit the countries bad
And ballooned out debts
Buhari has given the best an 80 year old Buhari could give
He has died without a foreign account
Without numerous wives and girlfriends
Without houses and mansions
I met him as a child in the squash court of the military school
A slim ram rod Brigadier GOC 3rd Div
Some called him a dictator
Others called him an ethnic champion and religious extremist
Nobody is a saint
For me he was the only revolutionary leader the country ever had
His war against indiscipline was truncated
When he returned in old age he didn’t have the energy
To instill discipline and drive his reforms
Buhari wouldn’t have liked to die in a foreign hospital
That alone is the summary of national failure
Buhari didn’t deliver on the change he promised in 1985
But
The man has lived his life
Rose to the rank of a Major General and chose not to promote himself.
Ruled the country for ten years
Raised the bar of personal integrity in politics
Retired a man of modest means
Died at a ripe age of 82
May his soul rest in peace
