Muhammadu Buhari

Muhammadu Buhari Listen(17 December 1942 – 13 July 2025) was a Nigerian general and politician who ruled as military dictator of Nigeria from 1983 to 1985, and later served as the democratically elected civilian president of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023.

Buhari joined the Nigerian Army fighting in the Nigerian Civil War, before advancing in subsequent military governments. Buhari earned a taciturn reputation during the presidency of Shehu Shagari due to his leading troops in the Chadian–Nigerian War. Buhari was a main figure behind the 1983 Nigerian coup d'état which led to the overthrow of the Second Republic. Although not the ringleader, Buhari became head of the military junta amid a period of deep economic crisis and widespread corruption. Citing economic mismanagement and a lack of discipline under the civilian administration, Buhari adopted a strict and austere approach to governance, with a strong emphasis on discipline, anti-corruption, and economic recovery through what became known as the War Against Indiscipline (WAI). The authoritarian political system he created is known as Buharism. Ultimately, Buhari's rigid style of governance and strained economic measures led to growing dissatisfaction within the military. On 27 August 1985, he was overthrown in a palace coup led by General Ibrahim Babangida.