Former Nigerian President Buhari to be buried in hometown on Tuesday

Muhammadu Buhari, who was the country’s antiauthoritarian person betwixt 2015 and 2023, died aged 82 successful London connected Sunday.

Nigeria’s erstwhile President Muhammadu Buhari volition beryllium buried successful his hometown of Daura successful the bluish authorities of Katsina, erstwhile his assemblage is repatriated from the United Kingdom, the authorities politician has said.

The remains of the ex-leader, who died aged 82 successful London connected Sunday pursuing a prolonged illness, volition scope Nigeria connected Tuesday, with his burial taking spot aboriginal the aforesaid day, according to Dikko Umaru Radda.

Preparations for the burial were nether mode successful Daura connected Monday, portion the country’s Vice President Kashim Shettima was successful London organising the repatriation of Buhari’s body.

Buhari, who archetypal ruled the state arsenic a subject person betwixt 1984 and 1985, served consecutive statesmanlike presumption betwixt 2015 and 2023. He was the archetypal absorption person to beryllium voted into powerfulness since the country’s instrumentality to civilian rule.

The self-described “converted democrat” is being remembered by galore arsenic a cardinal fig successful his country’s antiauthoritarian evolution. However, immoderate critics person besides noted his nonaccomplishment to amended Nigeria’s system oregon its information during his presidency.

Paying tribute to his predecessor connected Sunday, President Bola Tinubu called him “a patriot, a soldier, a statesman”.

“He stood steadfast done the astir turbulent times, starring with quiescent strength, profound integrity, and an unshakable content successful Nigeria’s potential,” Tinubu wrote successful a station connected X.

“He championed subject successful nationalist service, confronted corruption head-on and placed the state supra idiosyncratic involvement astatine each turn.”

Tinubu added that each nationalist flags would alert astatine half-mast for 7 days from Sunday, and said Buhari would beryllium accorded full-state honours.

The Nigerian emblem flies astatine half-mast pursuing the decease of erstwhile Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari successful Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria, connected July 14, 2025 [Sodiq Adelakun/Reuters]

Radda besides paid his respects to the erstwhile president, describing him arsenic “the embodiment of the communal man’s aspirations”.

Ibrahim Babangida, a erstwhile subject ruler who ousted Buhari successful a coup successful 1985, besides released a connection aft his decease was announced.

“We whitethorn not person agreed connected everything — arsenic brothers often don’t — but I ne'er erstwhile doubted his sincerity oregon his patriotism,” Babangida said.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Alexis Akwagyiram, managing exertion astatine Semafor and a longtime perceiver of Nigerian politics, noted that Buhari was fashionable for his “personal marque of integrity and honesty”.

However, Akwagyiram besides highlighted Buhari’s shortcomings connected the system and security, saying that insurgencies from groups specified arsenic Boko Haram had “proliferated nether his tenure”.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies