By
Sonala Olumhense
It is sad to hear from Muhammadu Buhari, who has led Nigeria for a total of 10 years—including eight as a ‘reformed democrat’—that he now lives on rental income.
In 2015, five houses and farms were listed in his limited assets declaration.
Among others, he also owned 270 heads of cattle and about N30 million. So, he was not explosively rich—certainly not in the tradition of the “corrupt” politicians he savaged to enter Aso Rock—but he did not know what poverty was, either.
I was one of those who bought the ‘suya’ Buhari was selling ahead of 2015. Among others: I had endorsed his candidature in 2011, fended off the London Daily Mail for him, celebrated him as ‘The Sherif of No Nonsense,’ and counseled as to how his presidency could shine.
Curiously, despite Buhari’s lifelong bragging about his integrity—including his pledge to publicly declare his assets—the Nigerian public never received concrete proof of his character even after he left office.
Nigerians did not see the man of honour he advertised in “My Covenant With Nigerians,” published by various journals, including Vanguard, in which he lied that he would “Publicly declare my assets and liabilities and…show personal leadership in the war against corruption…”
But in July 2016, when the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau; CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele; and Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, faced serious corruption allegations, Buhari protected them, declaring the allegations to be “without proof.”
As he began his second term in May 2019, Buhari’s assets declaration was “No-new-houses-fewer animals…” His exit declaration, in May 2023, was more curious. In it, a man whose 270 cattle should have grown considerably in eight years of presidential nurturing, somehow had fewer!
Also never honoured was his promise that his so-called assets declaration would be made public as soon as the Code of Conduct Bureau completed its verification process.
For eight years and beyond, Buhari’s measure of the myth of his ‘incorruptibility’ has been how many homes he does not own. And yet, when an Abuja-based newspaper frontally challenged this narrative on its front page within four days of Buhari’s arrival, it sparked controversy.
As I have reported over and over and over, here was Breaking Times’ lead on June 3, 2015: “President Muhammadu Buhari owns the sprawling Asokoro lakeside mansion located at Number 9, Udo Udoma Street, Asokoro, Abuja.” Buhari never denied it but the newspaper disappeared.
That Buhari is a walking corruption combatant is impossible to substantiate. Remember that at British Prime Minister David Cameron’s corruption conference early in 2016, in which he called Nigeria ‘fantastically corrupt,’ Buhari swore to personally provide a “comprehensive report” of all recovered stolen public funds within two weeks.
He never did. And that protection of the most corrupt partly through the blocking of information became the standard procedure of his administration.
To that end, he methodically disobeyed court orders, particularly those—in February 2016 and July 2017—requiring him to publish records of recovered stolen funds.
In doing this, he established the APC standard, and his successor has similarly ignored a July 2023 federal court order.
Is Buhari a man of character? In 2018, in violation of the “Gifts or benefits in kind” stipulated in the Fifth Schedule of Part I of the constitution, Buhari accepted the APC presidential primaries forms, a N45m gift from a mysterious group labelled the “Nigeria Consolidation Ambassadors Network.”
The mysterious group provided a lot of quid, but what was the pro quo? What other gifts did we not see?
It may also be remembered that in 2018, First Lady Aisha Buhari had her ADC arrested allegedly for receiving large donations of about N2.5bn on her behalf from politicians and business people that he failed to remit. The police ripped the man’s life apart, but no such money was found.
But hello, N2.5bn through one aide?
Keep in mind, also, that between 2020 and 2021, Mrs Buhari lived in Dubai for six months. Who paid—or how did she pay—for it?
And remember that in office, Buhari somehow developed the superpower of gifting foreign currency, according to spokesman Femi Adesina, a beneficiary, who said that as he prepared for a 12-day foreign trip, Buhari “gave me an envelope which contained foreign currency” despite the Special Adviser being entitled to $800.00 per night in estacode.
And yet, “If we do not kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria,’ Buhari had thundered everywhere, his fist raised in the air. But instead, he enabled it.”
Under him, APC absolved opposing politicians of all crimes if they crossed over.
He made nepotism his guiding principle with 16 of his 17 service chiefs being Northerners at one point.
He granted pardon to two jailed corrupt former governors.
A former Minister has described the lying. The infrastructure mess—of which the rail and road and Air Nigeria are prime examples—comes to mind.
According to Okoi Obono Obla, another top appointee, the malfeasance was calculated. And despite wild promises, Buhari recovered almost no looted funds.
His Attorney General and alleged Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, was embroiled in allegations of corruption: Premium Times, The Cable, Lawyard, Peoples Gazette, SaharaReporters, and The Cable (again).
Buhari ordered Malami to sell off billions of dollars of recovered assets, but there is no evidence they were not quietly shared, instead.
This was not entirely unprecedented. In 1985, Buhari was toppled as Head of State. Engaged by Sani Abacha in 1994 to run the Petroleum Trust Fund, he turned in a remarkably filthy record, as detailed by Newswatch in its edition of March 13, 2000, and summarized by Ray Ekpu in 2018 as Petroleum Trust Fraud.
There was nothing the Buhari presidency did not cheapen. His children could run chores in the presidential jet. He arrived at his second inauguration ensconced in a $170,000 car.
The most important point to remember is that Nigerians elected Buhari because he swore that he would engineer change.
Once he received power, he told them to change themselves!
He is currently celebrating how well he looks. Well, anyone would look good, wouldn’t they, if they could identify the best doctors abroad, and for eight years, spend any resources—including federal funds and 255 days—on themselves, family and aides, no questions asked
But now, Buhari offers his sob story portraying him as a modest man.
But even the British understand this ruse. Remember how he was presented with a trick question by King Charles in Buckingham Palace in 2022? “He asked me whether I have a house [in London]. I said ‘no’…”
But the king was referring to a foreign leader who shamelessly treated London like his home.
Consider this: if Buhari spent just £5,000 per night on accommodation during his visits—excluding medical expenses, his hangers-on, and so on—he would have burnt through at least £1,250,000, just on accommodation alone!
Buhari should drop the pretence about his tenants. In Nigerian law, former leaders receive a generous monthly upkeep in addition to perks that include a well-furnished five-bedroom house anywhere in Nigeria, and three vehicles that are replaced every four years.
Buhari enslaved and impoverished the ordinary Nigerian. If anyone respects him, it is only those who benefited directly from him. He generously bought their loyalty.
For others, he is the patron saint of APC’s menace. His perfidy evokes bad memories, and his memories, profound pain and regret.
Originally published in The Punch – 2nd Feb. ’25
