{"id":5424,"date":"2026-03-04T07:25:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T07:25:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/?p=5424"},"modified":"2026-03-05T14:50:44","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T14:50:44","slug":"the-generals-silence-the-eight-year-legacy-of-muhammadu-buhari-2015-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/the-generals-silence-the-eight-year-legacy-of-muhammadu-buhari-2015-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"The General\u2019s Silence: The Eight-Year Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari (2015\u20132023)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-path-to-node=\"3\">In May 2015, the air in Nigeria was thick with a sensation the country hadn\u2019t felt in decades: <b data-path-to-node=\"3\" data-index-in-node=\"95\">Hope.<\/b> <span class=\"citation-25 citation-end-25\">Muhammadu Buhari, a former military dictator rebranded as a &#8220;converted democrat,&#8221; had achieved the impossible, unseating an incumbent president.<\/span> <span class=\"citation-24\">His inaugural words, <\/span><i data-path-to-node=\"3\" data-index-in-node=\"267\"><span class=\"citation-24\">&#8220;I belong to everybody, and I belong to nobody,&#8221;<\/span><\/i><span class=\"citation-24 citation-end-24\"> echoed as a promise of fairness, integrity, and a new dawn.<\/span><\/p><div class=\"03bb5c02e2f58c6bb7f372bc13011e34\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size:10px;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8677361123316975\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ZXZ -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8677361123316975\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3054782407\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br><br \/>\n<\/div>\n\n<p data-path-to-node=\"4\">However, eight years later, as he retired to his home in Daura, the optimism had been replaced by a haunting silence. Nigeria was a different country\u2014one marked by economic fragility, unprecedented insecurity, and a deep-seated disillusionment.<\/p>\n<hr data-path-to-node=\"5\" \/>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"6\"><\/h2>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"6\">1. The Anti-Corruption War: A Campaign of Contradictions<\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"7\">Buhari\u2019s strongest selling point was his perceived personal integrity. <span class=\"citation-23 citation-end-23\">He was the &#8220;Incorruptible General&#8221; who would clean the Augean stables of Nigerian politics.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"source-inline-chip-container ng-star-inserted\"><\/div>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"8\">The Successes<\/h3>\n<ul data-path-to-node=\"9\">\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"9,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"9,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Asset Recovery:<\/b> His administration recovered billions of Naira in stolen funds from both domestic and international sources.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"9,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"9,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">High-Profile Convictions:<\/b> For the first time, several former governors and high-ranking civil servants were prosecuted and jailed.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"9,2,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"9,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"><span class=\"citation-22\">International Recognition:<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-22 citation-end-22\"> In 2017 and 2018, the African Union named him the &#8220;Anti-Corruption Champion.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"source-inline-chip-container ng-star-inserted\"><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"10\">The Reality<\/h3>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"11\">Despite the accolades, Transparency International\u2019s Corruption Perception Index showed Nigeria steadily dropping. In 2015, Nigeria ranked 136th; by 2020, it had fallen to <b data-path-to-node=\"11\" data-index-in-node=\"171\">149th<\/b>. Critics labeled the war &#8220;selective,&#8221; noting that corruption charges often vanished once a politician joined the ruling APC.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"12\">The administration was also rocked by internal scandals:<\/p>\n<ul data-path-to-node=\"13\">\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"13,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"13,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">The Accountant General,<\/b> Ahmed Idris was arrested for an alleged <b data-path-to-node=\"13,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"64\">109 billion Naira<\/b> fraud.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"13,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"13,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">The &#8220;Animal&#8221; Heists:<\/b> Public discourse turned into a dark comedy with reports of a snake swallowing 36 million Naira at a JAMB office and monkeys making off with 70 million Naira from a senator&#8217;s farm.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"13,2,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"13,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">The Termite Defense:<\/b><span class=\"citation-21\"> In 2022, officials claimed termites had eaten vouchers covering <\/span><b data-path-to-node=\"13,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"85\"><span class=\"citation-21\">17.1 billion Naira<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-21 citation-end-21\"> in expenditures.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"source-inline-chip-container ng-star-inserted\"><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr data-path-to-node=\"14\" \/>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"15\">2. The Economic Collapse: From &#8220;Change&#8221; to Crisis<\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"16\">Buhari inherited an economy suffering from a drop in oil prices, but his policy responses\u2014or lack thereof\u2014led to two recessions during his tenure.<\/p>\n<ul data-path-to-node=\"17\">\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"17,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"17,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Currency Crisis:<\/b> Buhari famously promised to make the Naira equal to the Dollar. Instead, the exchange rate moved from <b data-path-to-node=\"17,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"119\">197\/$1<\/b> in 2015 to over <b data-path-to-node=\"17,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"142\">700\/$1<\/b> on the parallel market by 2023.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"17,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"17,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Inflation and Debt:<\/b> Inflation soared to an 18-year high of over <b data-path-to-node=\"17,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"64\">22%<\/b>. National debt tripled, rising to over <b data-path-to-node=\"17,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"107\">$150 billion<\/b> as the government relied heavily on &#8220;Ways and Means&#8221; (printing money) to fund the budget.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"17,2,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"17,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"><span class=\"citation-20\">The Naira Redesign:<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-20 citation-end-20\"> In his final months, the botched attempt to redesign the Naira caused a catastrophic cash shortage, bringing the economy to a standstill and causing immense suffering for ordinary citizens.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"source-inline-chip-container ng-star-inserted\"><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr data-path-to-node=\"18\" \/>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"19\">3. Security: The General Who Couldn\u2019t Stop the Bleeding<\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"20\"><span class=\"citation-19 citation-end-19\">A former General, Buhari, was expected to crush Boko Haram in months.<\/span> While the military did reclaim territories in the Northeast, the security map of Nigeria actually expanded to include new, terrifying threats.<\/p><div class=\"03bb5c02e2f58c6bb7f372bc13011e34\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size:10px;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8677361123316975\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ZXZ -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8677361123316975\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3054782407\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br><br \/>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"source-inline-chip-container ng-star-inserted\"><\/div>\n<ul data-path-to-node=\"21\">\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"21,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"21,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">The Rise of Banditry:<\/b> What began as local skirmishes in the Northwest exploded into a lucrative kidnapping industry. Mass abductions of schoolchildren (like the <b data-path-to-node=\"21,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"161\">Dapchi<\/b> girls) became a recurring nightmare.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"21,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"21,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Farmer-Herder Conflicts:<\/b> The Middle Belt became a killing field. <span class=\"citation-18 citation-end-18\">The government\u2019s proposed &#8220;Ruga&#8221; (settlement) policy was met with fierce resistance, viewed by many as an ethnic land grab.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"21,2,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"21,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Unknown Gunmen:<\/b> The Southeast saw a surge in violence linked to secessionist agitations and a heavy-handed military response known as <i data-path-to-node=\"21,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"134\">Operation Python Dance<\/i>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"21,3,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"21,3,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"><span class=\"citation-17\">Human Rights Violations:<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-17\"> The administration was criticized for its disregard for the rule of law, famously ignoring over 40 court orders and presiding over the <\/span><b data-path-to-node=\"21,3,0\" data-index-in-node=\"160\"><span class=\"citation-17\">Zaria Massacre<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-17 citation-end-17\"> of Shia Muslims.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"source-inline-chip-container ng-star-inserted\"><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr data-path-to-node=\"22\" \/>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"23\">4. Health and the &#8220;Presidential Tourism.&#8221;<\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"24\">While the Nigerian healthcare system languished under strikes and poor funding, President Buhari became a frequent resident of London hospitals.<\/p>\n<ul data-path-to-node=\"25\">\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"25,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"25,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Medical Leave:<\/b> Buhari spent over <b data-path-to-node=\"25,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"33\">200 days<\/b> of his presidency in the UK for undisclosed ailments.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"25,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"25,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Brain Drain:<\/b> Under his watch, thousands of doctors and nurses &#8220;Japa-ed&#8221; (emigrated), leaving the country with one of the lowest doctor-to-patient ratios in the world.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"25,2,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"25,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"><span class=\"citation-16\">COVID-19:<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-16 citation-end-16\"> The pandemic exposed the fragility of the system.<\/span> While billions were donated, many Nigerians never saw the promised &#8220;palliatives,&#8221; which were later discovered hoarded in warehouses across the country.<\/p>\n<div class=\"source-inline-chip-container ng-star-inserted\"><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr data-path-to-node=\"26\" \/>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"27\">5. The EndSARS Movement and the Lekki Toll Gate<\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"28\">The defining moment of the Buhari era was the <b data-path-to-node=\"28\" data-index-in-node=\"46\">October 2020 EndSARS protest<\/b>. What began as a youth-led movement against police brutality ended in tragedy.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"29\"><span class=\"citation-15\">On the night of <\/span><b data-path-to-node=\"29\" data-index-in-node=\"16\"><span class=\"citation-15\">October 20, 2020<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-15 citation-end-15\">, the Nigerian Army opened fire on peaceful protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate.<\/span> The president\u2019s subsequent address failed to mention the shootings or offer empathy to the victims, a moment that many believe permanently severed the bond between the government and the youth.<\/p>\n<div class=\"source-inline-chip-container ng-star-inserted\"><\/div>\n<hr data-path-to-node=\"30\" \/>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"31\">6. The Mystery of the &#8220;Cabal&#8221; and the &#8220;Clone.&#8221;<\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"32\">Buhari\u2019s frequent absences and legendary silence led to a vacuum of leadership.<\/p>\n<ul data-path-to-node=\"33\">\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"33,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"33,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">The Cabal:<\/b> It was widely believed that a small circle of loyalists, led by the late Chief of Staff <b data-path-to-node=\"33,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"99\">Abba Kyari<\/b>, held the actual reins of power.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"33,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"33,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">The Sudan Theory:<\/b> The disconnect was so great that a bizarre conspiracy theory emerged, suggesting Buhari had died and been replaced by a clone named &#8220;Jubril from Sudan.&#8221; Though false, the fact that millions considered it possible spoke volumes about his perceived absence.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr data-path-to-node=\"34\" \/>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"35\">Conclusion: A Legacy of Absence<\/h3>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"36\">Muhammadu Buhari\u2019s eight years were a masterclass in the power of silence and the tragedy of unmet expectations. He came as a lion to devour corruption and insecurity, but many feel he left as a spectator to Nigeria&#8217;s decline. <span class=\"citation-14 citation-end-14\">He asked for forgiveness in his final speech, but for many Nigerians, the scars of those eight years\u2014economic, physical, and emotional\u2014remain unhealed.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"source-inline-chip-container ng-star-inserted\"><\/div>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"37\"><b data-path-to-node=\"37\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"><span class=\"citation-13\">His death on July 14, 2025,<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-13 citation-end-13\"> marked the end of an era.<\/span> History will likely remember him not for what he did, but for the silence he maintained while Nigeria burned.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In May 2015, the air in Nigeria was thick with a sensation the country hadn\u2019t felt in decades: Hope. Muhammadu [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[182,198],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5424","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-deep-dives","category-nigeria"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5424","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5424"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5424\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5425,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5424\/revisions\/5425"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}