El-Rufai To Nigerians: Let President Muhammadu Buhari Rest in Peace
By: Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai
Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has urged Nigerians and those rushing to public with one-sided narratives about late General Muhammadu Buhari, to let the former president rest in peace.
Reacting to a recent book launch on the life and legacy of Buhari, El-Rufai said in a statement on Wednesday from Cairo, Egypt that the tributes during the event were mostly fake, one-sided and meant to serve certain purposes.
“My appeal here is simple: to all Nigerians: admirers and critics alike—let President Muhammadu Buhari rest in peace. Let history judge him fairly, without opportunism or revisionism. The truest way to honour him is not through selective storytelling, or attempting to exhibit new-found love, but by upholding the values he embodied: simplicity, integrity, humility, and service to Nigeria with all he had.”
According to him, the recent book launch has only stirred deep emotions and renewed divisions among those who once formed Buhari’s inner circle.
“Having followed the headlines and images from the event, I felt compelled to make a simple but urgent appeal: let us allow President Buhari to rest in peace.
“A careful look at those who dominated the book launch revealed the same factional lines that existed during Buhari’s lifetime. One camp was prominently represented, while others—equally close to the late president—were excluded. This selective engagement compounded by the choice of location of the event were red flags, and raises concerns about whether Buhari’s legacy is now being shaped to serve narrow interests rather than historical truth.
“More troubling was the presence of long-time critics of Buhari, some of whom now hold high office, delivering glowing, but clearly faked tributes. 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.
“It was also unsettling to see individuals celebrating Buhari in death who had neither his trust nor his respect in life. President Buhari was a principled man who did not easily forget personal or political disrespect, and he made his preferences clear to those around him.”
El-Rufai said, though he has not read the book, Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, so far “many of the so-called revelations attributed to the late president appear one-sided and unfair, especially as he is no longer alive to respond. Explaining the thoughts and motivations of a complex leader through selective anecdotes risks distorting, rather than preserving, his legacy.”
The former Kaduna State Governor said even though late President Buhari was far from perfect in government, he believes that much of the administration’s shortcomings “stemmed from the actions and failures of a powerful inner circle—relatives, advisers, and officials who did not always share his commitment to integrity and public service.
“Buhari himself remained, to the end, a man of deep faith, personal discipline, and unquestioned patriotism. Those now invoking his name for self-justification should reflect on whether they can claim the same standards.”
