Muhammadu Buhari

Under Buhari, Nigeria experienced two recessions, high inflation and exchange-rate and import restriction policies criticised for harming businesses and consumers, as well as a prolonged closure of land borders.

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Political responsibility

Buhari had promised to defeat Boko Haram and at one stage claimed the group was "technically" defeated, but the insurgency persisted during his presidency and other violence worsened, including mass kidnappings and armed banditry.

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Political responsibility

Buhari made the fight against corruption a cornerstone of his presidency, but his record was criticised for prosecutions deemed slow or selective and the absence of structural change commensurate with his promises.

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The rapid redesign of naira notes and withdrawal of old denominations caused a severe cash shortage ahead of the 2023 election, with queues, difficulties making purchases and anger against banks. The Supreme Court held the hurried withdrawal of old notes invalid, pointing to inadequate consultation and notice.

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Political responsibility

Throughout his presidency, Buhari was accused of favouring associates and northerners in sensitive positions, at the expense of the constitutional "federal character" principle. Criticism particularly targeted appointments at the DSS and EFCC. After his presidency, testimony from family members and former officials also revived debate over the informal influence of associates described as a "cabal" in certain government decisions.

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Twitter removed a post by Buhari referring to the treatment of separatists in language recalling the Biafran war. Shortly afterwards, the Nigerian government suspended Twitter nationwide for several months.

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Political responsibility

The #EndSARS demonstrations against police brutality were violently suppressed, notably during the shootings at Lekki. Buhari's initial response was criticised for downplaying victims and prioritising public order.

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In December 2015, the Nigerian army killed hundreds of members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria in Zaria. Human Rights Watch considered the attack apparently unjustified and subsequently condemned the absence of meaningful prosecutions. The case became one of the major human rights issues of Buhari's first civilian presidential term.

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Command responsibility

At the Commonwealth Business Forum in London in April 2018, Buhari said that a large proportion of young people had not attended school and believed they could "sit and do nothing" while receiving free housing, healthcare and education because of the country's oil wealth. The wording sparked the hashtag #LazyNigerianYouths and fierce controversy.

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Personally implicated

During his first term, Buhari spent extended periods receiving medical treatment in the United Kingdom, including approximately 104 days during one absence in 2017, without the nature of his illness being disclosed. These absences raised questions about the President's ability to govern, medical transparency and the use of overseas healthcare while Nigeria's health system remained severely under-resourced.

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In September 2016, a passage in Buhari's speech launching the "Change Begins With Me" campaign was identified as closely resembling part of Barack Obama's 2008 victory speech. The Nigerian Presidency acknowledged the plagiarism and announced internal sanctions.

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After the 1983 coup, Buhari headed a military regime that restricted the press, detained political and civilian figures without ordinary trial and imposed an authoritarian campaign of social discipline.

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Political responsibility

In 1984, Buhari's military administration attempted to abduct Umaru Dikko, a former minister and regime critic, in the United Kingdom and secretly return him to Nigeria. The operation failed when British officials discovered Dikko in a crate at the airport, prompting a major diplomatic crisis.

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Political responsibility