63-468: Muhammadu Buhari GCFR ( Hausa pronunciation ; born 17 December 1942) is a Nigerian statesman who served as the president of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023. 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 . The term Buharism
126-423: A ceremony attended by at least 23 heads of state and government. The second inauguration of Buhari as the 15th president of Nigeria , and 4th president in the fourth Nigerian Republic took place on Wednesday, 29 May 2019, following the 2019 Nigerian presidential election and marking the start of the second and final four-year term of Muhammadu Buhari as president and Yemi Osinbajo as vice president . It
189-517: A brigade major at the age of twenty-one. The practice of using brigade majors has continued in some Commonwealth armies, such as that of India. The position was a standard fixture in the British Army and Canadian Army until between 1982 and 1984 when the NATO system was adopted and brigade G-3 ( Operations ), also known as "Chief of Staff", replaced the brigade major. In the old system, the brigade major
252-816: A close relationship with a corrupt past Head of State. Order of the Federal Republic The Order of the Federal Republic ( OFR ) is one of two orders of merit, established by the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1963. It is senior to the Order of the Niger . The highest honours are the Grand Commander in the Order of the Federal Republic and Grand Commander in the Order of the Niger and they are awarded to
315-507: A doctor who had led a strike against Buhari to protest declining health care services. Buhari was then detained in Benin City until 1988. Buhari spent three years of detention in a small guarded bungalow in Benin . He had access to television that showed two channels and members of his family were allowed to visit him on the authorization of Babangida. In December 1988, after his mother's death he
378-448: A federal ethno-demographic character with a minister representing each state of the federation. A result of this has created the outcome of political considerations as an important factor in nominating ministers as local party officials lacking in merit jostle for cabinet positions. Nomination into Buhari's cabinet has been influenced by those political considerations and also closeness to the president and his inner cabinet. In August 2019,
441-527: A great extent on the use of local materials. However, tightening of imports led to reduction in raw materials for industries causing many industries to operate below capacity, reduction of workers and in some cases business closure. Buhari broke ties with the International Monetary Fund, when the fund asked the government to devalue the naira by 60%. However, the reforms that Buhari instigated on his own were as or more rigorous as those required by
504-401: A growth rate of 0.9% since the administration's first term, unemployment is at an all-time high of 23%, and millions entered poverty. Since 2015, Buhari has lost supporters due to his perceived un-energetic personality and contemplative decision making. Buhari's key advisers include: his nephew Mamman Daura , businessman Ismaila Isa Funtua , political operator Baba Gana Kingibe , Abba Kyari
567-531: A jail sentence of up to two years. In order to reform the economy, as Head of State, Buhari started to rebuild the nation's social-political and economic systems, along the realities of Nigeria's austere economic conditions. The rebuilding included removing or cutting back the excesses in national expenditure, obliterating or removing completely, corruption from the nation's social ethics, shifting from mainly public sector employment to self-employment. Buhari also encouraged import substitution industrialisation based to
630-590: A party he had helped to found. He said that he had supported foundation of the CPC "as a solution to the debilitating, ethical and ideological conflicts in my former party the ANPP". Buhari was the CPC presidential candidate in the 2011 election, running against incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and Ibrahim Shekarau of ANPP. They were
693-742: A security risk to the state for up to three months. Strikes and popular demonstrations were banned and Nigeria's security agency, the National Security Organization (NSO) was entrusted with unprecedented powers. The NSO played a wide role in the cracking down of public dissent by intimidating, harassing and jailing individuals who broke the interdiction on strikes. By October 1984, about 200,000 civil servants were retrenched. Buhari mounted an offensive against entrenched interests. In 20 months as Head of State, about 500 politicians, officials and businessmen were jailed for corruption during his stewardship. Detainees were released after releasing sums to
SECTION 10
#1733094476315756-495: A staunch anti-corruption fighter and his incorruptible and honest reputation, but he said he would not probe past corrupt leaders and would give officials who stole in the past amnesty if they repented. In the runup to the 2015 election, Jonathan's campaign asked that Buhari be disqualified from the election, claiming that he was in breach of the Constitution. According to the fundamental document, in order to qualify for election to
819-893: A town in Katsina State , Nigeria. His father was called Mallam Hardo Adamu, a Fulani chieftain from Dumurkul in Mai'Adua , and his mother, whose name was Zulaihat, had Hausa and Kanuri ancestry. He is the twenty-third-(23) child of his father and was named after ninth-century Persian Islamic scholar Muhammad al-Bukhari . Buhari was about four years old when his father died and was thereafter raised by his mother alone. He attended primary school in Daura and Mai'adua , finishing in 1953, Katsina Middle School, and attended Katsina Provincial Secondary School in Katsina State from 1956 to 1961 where he earned his West African School Certificate . Buhari went to
882-419: Is a famine in the east of Niger that have been named "El Buhari". His regime drew criticism from many, including Nigeria's first Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka , who, in 2007, wrote a piece called "The Crimes of Buhari" which outlined many of the abuses conducted under his military rule. Ahead of the 2015 general election, Buhari responded to his human rights criticism by saying that if elected, he would follow
945-552: Is calculated to bring the Federal Military Government or the Government of a state or public officer to ridicule or disrepute, shall be guilty of an offense under this Decree". The law further stated that offending journalists and publishers will be tried by an open military tribunal, whose ruling would be final and unappealable in any court and those found guilty would be eligible for a fine not less than 10,000 naira and
1008-601: Is used to describe the authoritarian policies of his military regime. 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 . In December 2014, he emerged as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress party for the 2015 general election . Buhari won
1071-611: The All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP). He was defeated by the People's Democratic Party incumbent, President Olusẹgun Ọbasanjọ , by more than 11 million votes. On 18 December 2006, Buhari was nominated as the consensus candidate of the All Nigeria People's Party. His main challenger in the April 2007 polls was the ruling PDP candidate, Umaru Yar'Adua , who hailed from the same home state of Katsina . Buhari officially took 18% of
1134-741: The Chief of Staff to the President ; and from the late stages of his first term, Boss Mustapha the Secretary to the Government of the Federation . Empowering his kitchen cabinet after his second inauguration, Buhari has stated his preference for cabinet members seeking meetings or consultation to direct such requests through the chief of staff or through the government secretary. Since the Fourth Republic , ministerial positions are legally required to be composed of
1197-696: The Defence Services Staff College , Wellington, India, in 1973. From 1974 to 1975 Buhari was acting director of Transport and Supply at the Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport Headquarters. In the 1975 military coup d'état , Lieutenant Colonel Buhari was among a group of officers that brought General Murtala Mohammed to power. He was later appointed Governor of the North-Eastern State from 1 August 1975 to 3 February 1976, to oversee social, economic and political improvements in
1260-651: The Federal Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Resources (now minister). In 1977, when the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation was created, Buhari was appointed as its chairman, a position he held until 1978. During his tenure as the Federal Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Resources, the government invested in pipelines and petroleum storage infrastructures. The government built about 21 petroleum storage depots all over
1323-568: The Second Republic but also as the cause of a general decline in morality in society. The structure of the new military leadership—the fifth in Nigeria since independence—resembled the last military regime, the Obasanjo / Yaradua administration. The new regime established a Supreme Military Council, a Federal Executive Council and a Council of States. The number of ministries was trimmed to 18, while
SECTION 20
#17330944763151386-516: The lieutenant colonels commanding the brigade's combat battalions, his role was to expand on, detail and execute the intentions of the commanding brigadier . In 1913, staff captains of artillery in the British Army were re-styled as brigade majors to bring them into line with cavalry and infantry practice. In the 21st century, the title is no longer used except in the Household Division and in divisional-level artillery headquarters. As of 2014
1449-404: The 1st Division. The 2 battalion was one of the units that participated in the first actions of the war: they started from Gakem near Afikpo and moved towards Ogoja , with support from Gado Nasko 's artillery squad. They reached and captured Ogoja within a week, with the intention of advancing through the flanks to Enugu , the rebel capital. Buhari was briefly the 2 battalion's Commander and led
1512-477: The IMF. On 7 May 1984, Buhari announced the country's 1984 National Budget. The budget came with a series of complementary measures: Other economic measures by Buhari took the form of counter trade, currency change, price reduction of goods and services. His economic policies did not earn him the legitimacy of the masses due to the rise in inflation and the use of military might to continue to push many policies blamed for
1575-1054: The Nigerian Military Training School, Kaduna in 1963. In 1962, at the age of 19, Buhari enrolled in the Nigerian Military Training College (NMTC). In February 1964, the college was upgraded to an officer commissioning unit of the Nigerian Army and renamed the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) (prior to 1964, the Nigerian government sent cadets who had completed their NMTC preliminary training to mostly Commonwealth military academies for officer cadet training). From 1962 to 1963, Buhari underwent officer cadet training at Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot in England . In January 1963, at age 20, Buhari
1638-682: The President and vice-president respectively. The Presiding Judge in the Supreme Court and the Chairman of the Senate are former officials Grand Commanders in the Order of the Niger . The Nigerians have followed the British example in the form and structure of the Order. There are also post-nominal letters for the members of the Order of the Niger. There is a Civil Division and a Military Division. The ribbon of
1701-553: The Second Infantry Battalion and was appointed brigade major , Second Sector, First Infantry Division, April 1967 to July 1967. Following the bloody 1966 Nigerian coup d'état , which resulted in the death of Premier Ahmadu Bello , Lieutenant Buhari, alongside several young officers from Northern Nigeria , took part in the July counter-coup which ousted General Aguiyi Ironsi , replacing him with General Yakubu Gowon . Buhari
1764-573: The administration carried out a retrenchment exercise among the senior ranks of the civil service and police. It retired 17 permanent secretaries and some senior police and naval officers. In addition, the new military administration promulgated new laws to achieve its aim. These laws included the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Decree for the prosecution of armed robbery cases, and the State Security (Detention of Person) Decree, which gave powers to
1827-485: The age of 17 caught cheating on an exam would get 21 years in prison. Counterfeiting and arson could lead to the death penalty. Buhari's administration enacted three decrees to investigate corruption and control foreign exchange. The Banking (Freezing of Accounts) Decree of 1984, allotted to the Federal Military Government the power to freeze bank accounts of persons suspected to have committed fraud. The Recovery of Public Property (Special Military Tribunals) Decree permitted
1890-470: The battalion to Afikpo to link with the 3rd Marine Commando and advance towards Enugu through Nkalagu and Abakaliki . However, before the move to Enugu, he was posted to Nsukka as Brigade Major of the 3rd Infantry Brigade under Joshua Gin, who would later become battle fatigued and replaced by Isa Bukar. Buhari stayed with the infantry for a few months as the Nigerian army began to adjust tactics learnt from early battle experiences. Instead of swift advances,
1953-581: The country from Lagos to Maiduguri and from Calabar to Gusau ; the administration constructed a pipeline network that connected Bonny terminal and the Port Harcourt refinery to the depots. Also, the administration signed the contract for the construction of a refinery in Kaduna and an oil pipeline that will connect the Escravos oil terminal to Warri Refinery and the proposed Kaduna refinery. From 1978 to 1979, he
Muhammadu Buhari - Misplaced Pages Continue
2016-535: The drug known as cocaine or other similar drugs, shall be guilty under section 6 (3) (K) of an offence and liable on conviction to suffer death sentence by firing squad." In the case of Bernard Ogedengebe, the Decree was applied retroactively. He was executed even if at the time of his arrest the crime did not mandate the capital punishment, but had carried a sentence of six months imprisonment. In another prominent case of April 1985, six Nigerians were condemned to death under
2079-425: The election, defeating incumbent President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan . 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. Muhammadu Buhari was born to a Fulani family on 17 December 1942, in Daura ,
2142-451: The government and agreeing to meet certain conditions. The regime also jailed its critics, including Fela Kuti . He was arrested on 4 September 1984 at the airport as he was about to embark on an American tour. Amnesty International described the charges brought against him for illegally exporting foreign currency as "spurious". Using the wide powers bestowed upon it by Decree Number 2, the government sentenced Fela to five years in prison. He
2205-501: The government of General Sani Abacha , and funded from the revenue generated by the increase in price of petroleum products, to pursue developmental projects around the country. A 1998 report in New African praised the PTF under Buhari for its transparency, calling it a rare "success story". 2003 presidential election In 2003, Buhari ran for the office of the president as the candidate of
2268-465: The government to investigate the assets of public officials linked with corruption and constitute a military tribunal to try such persons. The Exchange Control (Anti-Sabotage) Decree stated penalties for violators of foreign exchange laws. Decree 20 on illegal ship bunkering and drug trafficking was another example of Buhari's tough approach to crime. Section 3 (2) (K) provided that "any person who, without lawful authority deals in, sells, smokes or inhales
2331-410: The grace of God, the dog and the baboon would all be soaked in blood". Buhari remained a "folk hero" to some for his vocal opposition to corruption. He won 12,214,853 votes, coming in second to Jonathan, who polled 22,495,187 votes and was declared the winner. Buhari ran in the 2015 presidential election as a candidate of the All Progressives Congress party. His platform was built around his image as
2394-540: The insurgency he said is fanned by mindless bigots masquerading as Muslims". In July 2014, Buhari escaped a bomb attack on his life by Boko Haram in Kaduna, 82 people were killed. In December 2014, Buhari pledged to enhance security in Nigeria if elected president. After this announcement, Buhari's approval ratings skyrocketed, largely due to Jonathan's apparent inability to fight Boko Haram. Buhari made internal security and wiping out
2457-539: The latter division has a small red line in the middle. The order has four grades: Brigade major A brigade major was the chief of staff of a brigade in the British Army . They most commonly held the rank of major , although the appointment was also held by captains , and was head of the brigade's "G - Operations and Intelligence" section directly, and oversaw the two other branches, "A – Administration" and "Q – Quartermaster". Intentionally ranked lower than
2520-442: The lives of 800 people across the country, as Buhari's supporters attacked Christian settlements in the country's central region. The three-day uprising was blamed in part on Buhari's inflammatory comments. In spite of assurances from Human Rights Watch, which had judged the elections "among the fairest in Nigeria's history", Buhari claimed that the vote was flawed and warned that "If what happened in 2011 should again happen in 2015, by
2583-420: The major contenders among 20 candidates. Buhari campaigned on an anti-corruption platform and pledged to remove immunity protections from government officials. He also gave support to enforcement of Sharia law in Nigeria's northern states, which had previously caused him political difficulties among Christian voters in the country's south. The elections were marred by widespread sectarian violence, which claimed
Muhammadu Buhari - Misplaced Pages Continue
2646-532: The militant group one of the key pillars of his campaign. In January 2015, the insurgent group "The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta" (MEND) endorsed Buhari. In February 2015, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo quit the ruling PDP party and endorsed Buhari. On 31 March, Jonathan called Buhari to concede and congratulate him on his election as president. Buhari was sworn in on 29 May 2015 in
2709-504: The military to detain individuals suspected of jeopardizing state security or causing economic adversity. Other decrees included the Civil Service Commission and Public Offenders Decree, which constituted the legal and administrative basis to conduct a purge in the civil service. According to Decree Number 2 of 1984, the state security and the chief of staff were given the power to detain, without charges, individuals deemed to be
2772-417: The military's seizure of power by castigating the civilian government as hopelessly corrupt and promptly suspended the constitution . Another rationale for the coup was to correct economic decline in Nigeria. In the military's first broadcast after the coup, Sani Abacha linked 'an inept and corrupt leadership' with general economic decline. In Buhari's New Year's Day speech, he too mentioned the corrupt class of
2835-570: The new tactics involved securing and holding on to the lines of communications and using captured towns as training ground to train new recruits brought in from the army depots in Abeokuta and Zaria . In 1968, he was posted to the 4 Sector, also called the Awka sector, which was charged with taking over the capture of Onitsha from Division 2. The sector's operations were within the Awka - Abagana -Onitsha region, which
2898-593: The office of the president, a person must be "educated up to at least School certificate level or its equivalent". Buhari failed to submit any such evidence, claiming that he lost the original copies of his diplomas when his house was raided following his overthrow from power in 1985. In May 2014, in the wake of the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping , Buhari strongly denounced the Boko Haram insurgency. He "urged Nigerians to put aside religion, politics and all other divisions to crush
2961-414: The president named his cabinet of predominantly male members with an average years of 60 and dominated by political actors or those close to the president. The cabinet include two wealthy former governors from the Niger Delta, Timipre Sylva and Godswill Akpabio who were originally members of the opposition party PDP and fourteen retained ministers some of whom critics alleged had performed poorly or having
3024-647: The rise in food prices. One of the most enduring legacies of the Buhari government has been the War Against Indiscipline (WAI). Launched on 20 March 1984, the policy tried to address the perceived lack of public morality and civic responsibility of Nigerian society. Unruly Nigerians were ordered to form neat queues at bus stops, under the eyes of whip-wielding soldiers. Civil servants who failed to show up on time at work were humiliated and forced to do "frog jumps". Minor offences carried long sentences. Any student over
3087-429: The rule of law, and that there would be access to justice for all Nigerians and respect for fundamental human rights of Nigerians. In August 1985, Major General Buhari was overthrown in a coup led by General Ibrahim Babangida and other members of the ruling Supreme Military Council (SMC). Babangida brought many of Buhari's most vocal critics into his administration, including Fela Kuti 's brother Olikoye Ransome-Kuti ,
3150-437: The same decree: Sidikatu Tairi, Sola Oguntayo, Oladele Omosebi, Lasunkanmi Awolola, Jimi Adebayo and Gladys Iyamah. In 1985, prompted by economic uncertainties and a rising crime rate, the government of Buhari opened the borders (closed since April 1984) with Benin , Niger , Chad and Cameroon to speed up the expulsion of 700,000 illegal foreigners and illegal migrant workers. Buhari is today known for this crisis; there even
3213-511: The state. On 3 February 1976, the North Eastern State was divided into three states Bauchi , Borno and Gongola . Buhari then became the first Governor of Borno State from 3 February 1976 to 15 March 1976. In March 1976, following the botched 1976 military coup d'état attempt which led to the assassination of General Murtala Mohammed, his deputy General Olusegun Obasanjo became the military head of state and appointed Colonel Buhari as
SECTION 50
#17330944763153276-446: The successful execution of the coup by General Buhari, Tunde Idiagbon was appointed Chief of General Staff (the de facto No. 2 in the administration). The coup ended Nigeria's short-lived Second Republic , a period of multi-party democracy revived in 1979, after 13 years of military rule. According to The New York Times , the officers who took power argued that "a flawed democracy was worse than no democracy at all". Buhari justified
3339-401: The title is still retained by HQ London District . During World War I , the brigade major was reportedly "a key personality who affected the health and happiness of the battalions." He was in most frequent contact with the front-line troops and was responsible for planning brigade operations. Many brigade majors held the rank of captain, e.g., the future prime minister , Anthony Eden , was
3402-730: The two-year-long, distance learning program, the United States Army War College (USAWC) awards its graduate officers a master's degree in Strategic Studies. Divisional commands held in the Nigerian Army : Major-General Buhari was one of the leaders of the military coup of December 1983 that overthrew the Second Nigerian Republic . At the time of the coup plot, Buhari was the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Third Armoured Division of Jos . With
3465-465: The vote to Yar'Adua's 70%, but Buhari rejected these results. After Yar'Adua took office, he called for a government of national unity to bring on board aggrieved opposition members. The ANPP joined the government with appointment of its national chairman as a member of Yar'Adua's cabinet, but Buhari denounced this agreement. In March 2010, Buhari left the ANPP for the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC),
3528-760: Was Military Secretary at the Army Headquarters and was a member of the Supreme Military Council from 1978 to 1979. From 1979 to 1980, at the rank of colonel, Buhari (class of 1980) attended the US Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania , in the United States , and gained a master's degree in Strategic Studies . Upon completion of the on-campus full-time resident program lasting ten months and
3591-525: Was a Staff Officer 2 in charge of "G Branch", abbreviated "GSO2", General Staff Officer (Grade 2). The rank of brigade major was used in the United States Army until the War of 1812 , with army regulations mentioning only brigade majors as necessary/required staff for a brigadier general. This United Kingdom military article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article on
3654-590: Was assigned to the 1st Division under the command of Lt. Col Mohammed Shuwa . The division had temporarily moved from Kaduna to Makurdi at the onset of the Nigerian Civil War . The 1st division was divided into sectors and then battalions, with Shuwa assisted by sector commanders Martin Adamu and Sule Apollo, who was later replaced by Theophilus Danjuma . Buhari's initial assignment was as Adjutant and Company Commander 2 battalion unit, Second Sector Infantry of
3717-819: Was commissioned a second lieutenant and appointed Platoon Commander of the Second Infantry Battalion in Abeokuta , Nigeria . From November 1963 to January 1964, Buhari attended the Platoon Commanders' Course at the Nigerian Military Training College, Kaduna . In 1964, he facilitated his military training by attending the Mechanical Transport Officer's Course at the Army Mechanical Transport School in Borden, United Kingdom . From 1965 to 1967, Buhari served as commander of
3780-449: Was important to Biafran forces because it was a major source of food supply. It was in the sector that Buhari's group suffered a lot of casualties trying to protect the food supplies route of the rebels along Oji River and Abagana . From 1970 to 1971, Buhari was Brigade Major/Commandant, Thirty-first Infantry Brigade. He then served as the Assistant Adjutant-General, First Infantry Division Headquarters, from 1971 to 1972. He also attended
3843-408: Was released after 18 months, when the Buhari regime was overthrown. In 1984, Buhari passed Decree Number 4, the Protection Against False Accusations Decree, a wide-ranging repressive press law. Section 1 of the law provided that "Any person who publishes in any form, whether written or otherwise, any message, rumour, report or statement [...] which is false in any material particular or which brings or
SECTION 60
#17330944763153906-405: Was released and retired to his residence in Daura . While in detention, his farm was managed by his relatives. He divorced his first wife in 1988 and married Aisha Halilu. In Katsina, he became the pioneer chairman of Katsina Foundation that was founded to encourage social and economic development in Katsina State . Buhari served as the Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), a body created by
3969-637: Was the 8th presidential inauguration in Nigeria, and 6th in the fourth republic. The official swearing-in ceremony took place at Eagle Square in Abuja , the Federal Capital Territory . Acting Chief Justice Tanko Muhammad administered the oath of office taken by President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. The traditional inaugural speech was not delivered. Former Nigerian heads of state General Yakubu Gowon , General Ibrahim Babangida , Interim President Ernest Shonekan , General Abdulsalami Abubakar , General Olusegun Obasanjo and President Goodluck Jonathan were in attendance. The economy has averaged
#314685