Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has died at the age of 82, according to an official statement released by his press secretary on Sunday. Buhari passed away in a London clinic following a prolonged illness.
The announcement was also confirmed by the spokesperson for current President Bola Tinubu, who posted on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that Buhari died around 4:30 p.m. local time (15:30 GMT) after battling health complications for an extended period.
Muhammadu Buhari served as the President of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023, following a historic victory in the March 2015 presidential election. A former military general and seasoned politician, Buhari was widely regarded as a pivotal figure in modern Nigerian political history.
Born in 1942 in the village of Daura in Katsina State, northern Nigeria, near the border with Chad, Buhari joined the Nigerian military at the age of 19. He later pursued advanced military training in the United Kingdom before returning to Nigeria, where he held several high-ranking military and governmental positions.
Buhari officially assumed office on April 1, 2015, after defeating incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan in a decisive electoral contest. His presidency was marked by a strong anti-corruption stance and efforts to combat insurgency in the country.
He was re-elected for a second term in 2019 and completed his tenure in 2023, after which he stepped down from public office.
His passing marks the end of an era for Nigeria, as citizens and leaders across Africa reflect on his legacy and influence on the continent’s political landscape.
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