In a development that has sent shockwaves through Nigeria and beyond, former President Muhammadu Buhari has died of leukaemia in London at the age of 82.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu confirmed the passing at approximately 4:30 p.m. (1530 GMT) on Sunday, July 13, 2025, following a prolonged illness.
As flags across the federation are lowered to half‑mast, questions abound over the secrecy surrounding Buhari’s health, the enormous cost of his frequent medical trips abroad, and the enduring gulf between his anti‑corruption promises and the realities of his tenure.
A Prolonged Illness, a Sudden Announcement
According to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, the late former president breathed his last in a London clinic after battling leukaemia – a blood cancer affecting bone marrow.
Garba Shehu, Buhari’s media aide, had earlier broken the news of his principal’s critical condition, confirming that the retired general had been in and out of intensive care in recent weeks.
“The family of the former president has announced the passing on of the former president, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, this afternoon in a clinic in London,” Shehu stated. “May Allah accept him in Aljannatul Firdaus, Amin.”
President Tinubu immediately dispatched Vice‑President Kashim Shettima to London to accompany the body home, underscoring the gravity of this moment in Nigeria’s political history.
The Man in Uniform Turned Democrat
Muhammadu Buhari first seized power as a military head of state in a coup on 31 December 1983, ruling until 27 August 1985.
His first tenure was marked by draconian measures against corruption and dissent, earning him both praise for discipline and condemnation for authoritarianism.
After three decades in the political wilderness, Buhari returned to the presidency through democratic elections in 2015 and secured a controversial second term in 2019.
Anti‑Corruption Crusade: Buhari’s brand was built on a vow to eradicate graft, yet Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index showed Nigeria hovering at 146/180 in 2023, a negligible improvement from 144/180 in 2015.
Security Challenges: Promised to vanquish Boko Haram, his administration saw territorial gains but could not stem the insurgency, which claimed over 36,000 lives between 2015 and 2022, according to ACLED data.
Economic Hardships: Despite GDP growth averaging 2.2% annually, over 112 million Nigerians lived in extreme poverty by 2022, per the National Bureau of Statistics.
This juxtaposition of lofty rhetoric and sobering indicators has fuelled ongoing debates about Buhari’s actual impact.
Medical Tourism: A Symbol of Broken Promises
One of the most scathing critiques of Buhari’s presidency was his reliance on foreign healthcare – a flagrant contradiction of his 2015 campaign promise to end medical tourism and rebuild Nigeria’s health sector.
Detailed research shows:
| Year | Medical Trip | Duration (Days) | Reported Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2016 | London | 10 | Vacation & check‑up |
| Jun 2016 | London | 5 | Ear infection |
| Jan–Mar 2017 | London | 50 | “Medical vacation” |
| May–Sep 2017 | London | 104 | Unspecified, speculated chronic ailment |
| May 2018 | London | 7 | Follow‑up consultation |
| Mar–Apr 2021 | London | 30 | Routine check‑up amid doctor strike |
| Jun–Jul 2021 | London | 15 | Continued treatment |
| Mar 2022 | London | 6 | Routine check‑up |
| Oct 2022 | London | 8 | Routine check‑up |
| May 2023 | London | 12 | Dental procedure post‑coronation |
| Total | — | 247 | — |
Estimates place the cost of operating the presidential jet and related overheads between ₦1.1 billion and ₦5.4 billion over these trips.
Critics, including then–World Medical Association President Dr Osahon Enabulele, decried this as a “national shame,” while politician and activist Omoyele Sowore charged Buhari with betrayal of public trust for failing to build a single world‑class hospital in eight years.
“He promised to end medical tourism, yet Nigeria’s top patient remains the president himself,” Sowore quipped in July 2019.
The Cost of Secrecy and Its Political Fallout
The opacity surrounding Buhari’s true health condition created recurring crises of confidence:
Constitutional Ambiguity: During his 2017 absence of over 100 days, Vice‑President Yemi Osinbajo assumed acting powers, but the lack of formal handover protocols left a vacuum exploited by political rivals.
Civil Society Outcry: The Nigerian Medical Association and Patient Rights groups clamoured for transparency; in 2021, junior doctors downed tools to protest inadequate facilities at home while their president sought care abroad.
Media Speculation: Rumours ranged from Parkinson’s disease to heart trouble, eroding faith in the presidency and stoking conspiracies that hampered governance.
It is worth recalling the case of President Ronald Reagan, who in 1985 underwent secretive surgery for polyps, prompting a renewed emphasis on presidential health disclosures in the United States.
Nigeria, by contrast, never enacted a statutory framework for such transparency.
International Condolences and the Road Ahead
Global reaction was swift. U.S. State Department spokesperson offered “deepest condolences” and praised Buhari’s role in stabilising Nigeria as a bulwark against extremism.
Within Nigeria, former President Goodluck Jonathan called it “a personal and national loss,” honouring Buhari as a “disciplined officer” whose integrity would endure despite controversies.
President Tinubu has announced a seven‑day national mourning, with flags at half‑mast and an emergency Federal Executive Council meeting to plan funeral arrangements in Abuja and Katsina State.
Historical Comparisons and What This Means for Nigeria’s Future
Health of Leaders: From Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s prolonged hospital stays to Egypt’s Anwar Sadat’s sudden assassination, the health of national leaders has often shaped political transitions.
Transparency Precedents: Mexico’s 2000 presidential debates prompted public release of candidate medical records – a model Nigeria may now consider.
Public Health Investment: With 75% of government funding directed to security and debt servicing, only 7% went to health in 2024, per the Federal Budget Office. This lopsided prioritisation may change if the Buhari episode galvanises reform.
As Nigerians await details of the state funeral, the critical questions linger: will this tragedy spur genuine healthcare investment, and can future leaders deliver on pledges without resorting to foreign clinics?
Conclusion
Ex‑President Muhammadu Buhari’s death from leukaemia not only marks the end of a polarising figure but also reopens old wounds over governance, secrecy, and public trust.
His decades‑long saga of military rule carried into an elected presidency; his battles against corruption marred by allegations of authoritarianism; and his promises to heal a broken health system undercut by his own medical pilgrimages abroad.
As Nigeria mourns, the real test will be whether this moment of national grief translates into lasting institutional reforms or fades as another chapter of unfulfilled pledges.
