Olu Allen
They say, “Speak no ill of the dead.” But history does not forget. When a man dies, he leaves behind not just a body but a legacy: shaped by the lives he touched, the decisions he made, and their consequences.
President Muhammadu Buhari has died.
His passing, like his presidency, brings mixed reactions. Some mourn. Others remember wounds that never healed. Both are valid.
To paint him as a saint is false. To focus only on his failures is unfair. Buhari, once a military ruler who returned through the ballot box, became a fixture in Nigeria’s political life.
He stood for discipline, yet led a country that suffered economic hardship, rising insecurity, and deep poverty.
Still, one trait stood out: his honesty. Even critics often admitted he was not corrupt. He lived simply, showed little interest in wealth or display, and remained frugal. In a system plagued by corruption, that was not nothing.
But he also led during painful chapters: the Zaria killings of Shia protesters in 2015, the violent response to #EndSARS protests, the Twitter ban that silenced many young voices.
Many Nigerians, especially the youth, felt unseen and unheard.
He made difficult choices. Not all were wise. He meant well. But good intentions don’t always lead to good outcomes.
He left no memoirs. That silence means history will fill in the blanks, perhaps unfairly. What people now say, publicly and privately, is part of the verdict on his life and leadership.
In death, we are reminded of what remains: our shared mortality. And the need for mercy.
May Allah (SWT) forgive Muhammadu Buhari, reward his good deeds, and grant him Aljannah Firdaus.
Allah ya jikan sa. Allah ya gafarta masa. Amin.
His legacy is now ours to confront, in memory, in record, and in the Nigeria he helped shape.
Allen is a writer and educator who resides in Kano. He writes on politics, culture, and power.
