SUNTV Global Channel, December 18, 2025 – News:
Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has criticized the civilian administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, saying it “fell short of expectations” and attributing many of its shortcomings to a powerful inner circle of relatives, advisers, and officials.
El-Rufai made the remarks in a statement titled “Let President Muhammadu Buhari Rest in Peace”, issued on December 17, following the launch of a new biography, Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari.
According to El-Rufai, the book launch exposed lingering factional divisions among those close to Buhari, with some groups prominently represented while others were excluded. He argued that the choice of location and the dynamics of the event raised questions about whether the former president’s legacy is being shaped “to serve narrow interests rather than historical truth.”
He also criticized current office holders who were once outspoken critics of Buhari, noting that their glowing tributes appeared insincere. “These are individuals who once blamed his administration for nearly every challenge facing Nigeria, but who now appear eager to revise history—perhaps to deflect responsibility for present failures,” he said.
Reflecting on Buhari’s legacy, El-Rufai acknowledged that the former president was “far from perfect,” but emphasized that he was “a man of deep faith, personal discipline, and unquestioned patriotism.” He added that much of the administration’s shortcomings were due to advisers and officials who “did not always share his commitment to integrity and public service.”
While he has not fully read the biography, El-Rufai cautioned against selective storytelling, warning that presenting one-sided accounts risks distorting Buhari’s legacy.
In closing, he appealed to Nigerians to assess Buhari’s life and presidency fairly, without opportunism or revisionism, stating: “The truest way to honour him is not through selective storytelling or newfound admiration, but by upholding the values he embodied: simplicity, integrity, humility, and service to Nigeria with all he had.”
