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[OPINION] Buhari: A Tale Of Two Deaths

Published

10 months ago

July 21, 2025

By Lasisi Olagunju

June 2015, freshly minted President Muhammadu Buhari hosted General Olusegun Obasanjo at the Villa.

“Whatever anyone might have done to you in the past, please forgive and forget,” Obasanjo advised the new president. Buhari looked up, surprised. His countenance changed.

“Including Ibro?”

“Yes, especially Ibro,” Obasanjo answered very quickly and curtly. The two leaders exchanged glances.

Silence.

The ‘Ibro’ in that discussion is General Ibrahim Babangida. The question on whether Ibro should be forgiven was a surprise to Obasanjo because twice, Buhari was in IBB’s home seeking his endorsement ahead of the 2015 election. And his host supported him all through, publicly.

But there was no overt commitment to ‘peace’ from the new president. Old soldiers they were, host and guest quickly drifted to other issues. The meeting ended.

The event I reported above happened. It was one of the earliest signs in Nigeria’s power circle that the new man had come to power to do more than governance. I got the gist a few days after the Villa meeting. And, I asked the source what Babangida’s reaction would be if he heard that conversation. Or was he aware of it already? My source smiled and said “Of course. But, you know he is a veteran in such intrigues.”

MORE FROM THE AUTHOR: OPINION: For Ganduje And Kabiyesi

For the eight years of Buhari, the journalist in me patiently looked forward to how he would take his pound of flesh from IBB for toppling him in 1985. I was aware that IBB also was on the alert. I was told that Buhari really wanted to take on Ibro. “He was told that he would need more than two terms to fight that war. He got the hint and backed off.” My source told me.

Babangida is very lucky to have outlived Buhari and his regime. President Shehu Shagari, the man Buhari toppled in December 1983, was not that lucky. He was president for four years and three months. He died in December 2018, right into the mouth of Buhari’s awesome powers as president. A State House press statement mourned the dead but that was where it ended. President Buhari stayed away from Shagari’s burial and made sure the dead president enjoyed no state burial. It was Buhari’s second December coup against Shagari.

Last week, Shagari’s grandson, Nura Muhammad Mahe, reacted to Buhari’s death with a caustic press release. He said the very expressive state burial honour which President Bola Tinubu gave Buhari was “in sharp contrast to how my grandfather, President Shehu Shagari, was treated during the administration of Muhammadu Buhari.” Muhammed Mahe recalled that upon Shagari’s death on 28 December, 2018, “Buhari neither attended the funeral nor approved a state burial, despite being in the country at the time.” The man said “it was a painful experience for the Shagari family and many Nigerians who expected more honour for a man who served as Nigeria’s first Executive President…Even in death, Buhari failed to show due respect to his predecessor.”

MORE FROM THE AUTHOR:OPINION: From The North, ‘A Storm Is Coming’

Probably under pressure, Buhari visited the Shagari family a day after the burial and signed the condolence register. When he left, journalists who wanted to feast on what he wrote in the register met nothing in there. It was a blank page. Was that an error or a fulfillment of a pledge to dishonour the dead?

Whether you overthrew the man as IBB did, or he overthrew you as he did Shagari, he believed he was your victim and considered you an enemy till he breathed his last breath in London on Sunday. I read IBB’s beautiful tribute in honour of Buhari. The Minna-uphill General is lucky that he lived through the Buhari years. If he had gone when Buhari was president, it is almost certain that there would not have been such positive review from Daura. The Shagari treatment would be certain. It would be worse. Friends would be afraid to ‘show face’ in Minna because Mr President would have kept a register of mourners for the appropriate punishment.

Niccollo Machiavelli warns that a leader can “make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth.” Buhari made both and got away with them. Muhammadu Buhari’s engagement with Nigeria is a study in entitlement. The textbook meaning of entitlement mentality is to believe that you deserve the best from your people while giving back far less than was required of you. Buhari represented that forever in our history. And it wasn’t his fault. Very literate, knowledgeable people openly said our country owed the old soldier power; they said we owed him reverence and accolades; they put unquestioning loyalty as the icing on his cake. For 30 years, Nigerians Earnestly Yearned for Buhari. He came, and he failed. When he was exiting power, he warned us never to attempt asking him questions: “Nobody should ask me to come and give any evidence in any court, otherwise, whoever it is would be in trouble because all important things are on record.” He threatened us in January 2022, and we complied and bought padlocks for the laws he broke. Who born Nigeria and Nigerians!

The gentleman officer was a beautiful snake who carefully positioned himself as the gift the nation had been waiting for. Physician Buhari donated himself to Nigeria and the nation bled from all the orifices: from the nose, from the ear, the mouth, etc. Under his watch, life got tragically devalued. For eight years he added nothing of value to the lives of ordinary Nigerians. He instead took from many their food; and from many more their lives through unremitting insecurity. As peace progressively turned ashen, the man who swore to protect us sat back, belched, picked his busy teeth and demanded appreciation from all of us for graciously failing us. We paid him that debt of gratitude last week with the fairy tale celebration in Daura and a national holiday declared by Abuja. He was the luckiest leader the nation has ever served.

Instead of checking the dictionary meaning of inertia, just open the book of blank pages called Buhari. He was absent for eight years even for his 12 million children in the North. The North-West was healthy before he came; he left it gasping for life. Where the president’s voice was needed, Buhari planted silence and watered it with absence. He never cared; he was a leader for whom mere presence in office was enough achievement.

Everything Buhari denied others, he got from others, even when he didn’t deserve such. Tinubu gave him every support possible for him to be president and he became president. When it was Tinubu’s turn to contest for the presidency, the General he exhumed from political retirement in Daura denied him every support at his disposal. Buhari escaped every bad treatment he gave others, even when he deserved it. Apart from Sani Abacha, whom he served diligently, no other leader since 1979 got Buhari’s respect. Yet, the living among them – all of them – last week used words which you and I know were hyperbolic untruths to bury him. He was Nigeria’s most successful charmer.

News

Xenophobic Attacks: Oshiomhole Tells FG To Retaliate Against South African Companies In Nigeria

Published

5 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has called on the Federal Government to retaliate against South African businesses operating in Nigeria following the recent attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

Speaking during plenary on Tuesday, Oshiomhole said the Federal Government should consider revoking the working license of South African owned companies such as MTN and DSTV.

He argued that Nigeria must respond firmly to what he described as persistent hostility against its citizens.

“I am not going to shed tears. If you hit me, I hit you. I think it is appropriate in diplomacy. It is an economic struggle,” Oshiomhole said.

He argued that while some South Africans accuse Nigerians of taking their jobs, Nigerians should return home and take over employment opportunities created by major South African companies operating in the country, including MTN and DSTV.

“When we hit back, the President of South Africa will not only talk but will also go on his knees to recognise that Nigeria cannot be intimidated.

“We will not condone any life being lost. If a crime has been committed under the South African law they have the right to bring any such person to justice, but to kill our people as if we are helpless, we will not allow that,” Oshiomhole added.

DAILY POST reports that several Nigerians in South Africa have reportedly been attacked, and their businesses destroyed, in ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.

News

IGP Orders Officers Display Name Tag On Uniform, Gives Update On State Police

Published

5 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Tunji Disu, has ordered all police personnel to always have their name tags on their uniforms for easy identification.

Disu disclosed that only police personnel who are undercover are exempted from displaying their name tags.

Speaking on Tuesday, Disu said: “All police officers should have their name tags. All of us on the high table have our names apart from the undercover among us so if you look at all the Commissioners of Police we have our name tags, so it’s not our standard.

News

Court Orders SERAP To Pay DSS Operatives N100m For Defamation

Published

10 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has ordered a non-governmental organization, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, to pay N100 million as damaged to two operatives of the Department of the State Services, DSS, for unjustly defaming them in some publications.

The court also ordered SERAP to tender public apologies to the defamed officers,
Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele, in two national newspapers, two television stations and its website.

Besides, the organization was also ordered to pay the two operatives N1 million as cost of litigation and 10 percent post-judgment interest annually on the judgment sum until it’s fully liquidated.

Justice Yusuf Halilu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory gave the order on Tuesday while delivering judgment in a N5.5 billion defamation suit instituted against SERAP by the DSS operatives.

The judge found SERAP liable for unjustly defaming the two DSS operatives with allegations that they unlawfully invaded its Abuja office, harassed and intimidated its staff, in September 2024.

In the offending publication on its website and Twitter handle, SERAP alleged that the two operatives unlawfully invaded and occupied its office with sinister motives.

The judge held that the publication was in bad taste especially from an organization established to promote transparency and accountability, as nothing in the publication was found to be truthful.

The DSS staff had listed SERAP as 1st defendant in the suit marked CV/4547/2024. SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, was listed as the 2nd defendant.

In the suit, the claimants – Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele – accused the two defendants of making false claims that they invaded SERAP’s Abuja office on September 9, 2024..

Counsel to the DSS, Oluwagbemileke Samuel Kehinde, had while adopting his final address in the mater urged the judge to grant all the reliefs sought by his client in the interest of justice.

He admitted that although the names of the two claimants were not mentioned in the defamation materials, they had however established substantial circumstances that they are the ones referred to in the published defamation article by SERAP on its website.

The counsel submitted that all ingredients of defamation have been clearly established and the offending publication referred to the two officials of the secret police.

However, SERAP, through its counsel, Victoria Bassey from Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, law firm, asked the court to dismiss the suit on the ground that the two claimants did not establish that they were the ones referred to in the alleged defamation materials.

She said that SERAP used “DSS officials” in the alleged offending publication, adding that the two claimants must establish that they are the ones referred to before their case can succeed.

Similar arguments were canvassed by Oluwatosin Adefioye who stood for the second defendant, adding that there was no dispute in the September 9, 2024 operation of DSS in SERAP’s office.

He said that since SERAP in the publication did not name any particular person, the claimants must plead special circumstances that they were the ones referred to as the DSS officials.

Besides, he said that there is no organization by name Department of State Services in law, hence, DSS cannot claim being defamed adding that the only entity known to law is National Security Agency.

The claimants had in the suit stated that the alleged false claim by SERAP has negatively impacted on their reputation.

The DSS also stated, in the statement of claim, that, in line with the agency’s practice of engaging with officials of non-governmental organisations operating in the FCT to establish a relationship with their new leadership, it directed the two officials – John and Ogunleye – to visit SERAP’s office and invite them for a familiarization meeting.

The claimants added that in carrying out the directive, John and Ogunleye paid a friendly visit to SERAP’s office at 18 Bamako Street, Wuse Zone 1, Abuja on September 9 and met with one Ruth, who upon being informed about the purpose of the visit, claimed that none of SERAP’s management staff was in the country and advised that a formal letter of invitation be written by the DSS.

John and Ogundele, who claimed that their interactions with Ruth were recorded, said before they immediately exited SERAP’s office, Ruth promised to inform her organisation’s management about the visit and volunteered a phone number – 08160537202.

They said it was surprising that, shortly after their visit, SERAP posted on its X (Twitter) handle – @SERAPNigeria – that officers of the DSS are presently unlawfully occupying its office.

The claimant added, “On the same day, the defendants also published a statement on SERAP’s website, which was widely reported by several media outfits, falsely alleging that some officers from the DSS, described as “a tall, large, dark-skinned woman” and “a slim, dark skinned man,” invaded their Abuja office and interrogated the staff of the first defendant (SERAP).

John and Ogundele stated that “due to the false statements published by the defendants, the DSS has been ridiculed and criticised by international agencies such as the Amnesty International and prominent members of the Nigerian society, such as Femi Falana (SAN)”.

“Due to the false statements published by the defendants, members of the public and the international community formed the opinion that the Federal Government is using the DSS to harass the defendants.”

They added that the defendants’ statements caused harm to their reputation because the staff and management of the DSS have formed the opinion that the claimants did not follow orders and carried out an unsanctioned operation and are therefore, incompetent and unprofessional.

The claimants therefore prayed the court for the following reliefs: “An order directing the defendants to tender an apology to the claimants via the first defendant’s (SERAP’s) website, X (twitter) handle, two national daily newspapers (Punch and Vanguard) and two national news television stations (Arise Television and Channels Television) for falsely accusing the claimants of unlawfully invading the first defendant’s office and interrogating the first defendant’s staff.

“An order directing the defendants to pay the claimants the sum of N5 billion as damages for the libellous statements published about the claimants.

“Interest on the sum of N5b at the rate of 10 percent per annum from the date of judgment until the judgment sum is realised or liquidated.

“An order directing the defendants to pay the claimants the sum of N50 million as costs of this action.”