Muhammadu Buhari bio: children, spouse, on SARS, education, profile
Over the past couple of days, Nigeria has been on the limelight. This is because of the demonstrations that have been going on in the country. Social media users have been curious to know what the Nigerian authorities have to say about the state of the country. The biography of President Muhammadu Buhari elaborates his stand on the matter.
Source: Facebook
Muhammadu Buhari is the sitting president of the country. He was re-elected in 2019 to serve a second term. Before then, he held top positions in the country's military and at one point, he served as the military head of state. His biography explains his rise to power.
Muhammadu Buhari profile
- Full name: Muhammadu Buhari
- Date of birth: 17th December 1942
- Place of birth: Daura, Nigeria
- Nationality: Nigerian
- Office: President of Nigeria (2015 - to date)
- Political party: All Progressives Congress
- Muhammadu Buhari religion: Islam
Muhammadu Buhari biography
He was born as the twenty-third child to the family of a Fulani chieftain. His father passed on at a tender age; hence, he was raised by his mother. He went for military training at the age of nineteen and rose to serve some of the top positions in the army. He also served as the Federal Minister of petroleum and the Governor of Borno State and later the Governor of North-Eastern Nigeria. Currently, he is serving as the president of Nigeria.
Muhammadu Buhari age
How old is Buhari? He was born on 17th December 1942 in Daura, Kastina State, Nigeria. He will be turning seventy-eight years old in December 2020.
READ ALSO: 10 international celebs who’ve cried with Nigeria over #EndSARS
Muhammadu Buhari education
Buhari had his primary school education in Mai'adua and Daura before joining Katsina Middle School in 1953. Between 1956 and 1961, he attended Katsina Provincial Secondary School.
Muhammadu Buhari previous offices
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In 1962, Buhari joined the Nigerian Military Training College (NMTC). Between 1962 and 1963, he attended the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot in England for cadet training. His career in the military saw him serve the position of brigade major, Colonel, and Major-General.
In 1983, Major-General Buhari was among the military leaders who led the coup that overthrew the democratic government of President Shehu Shagari. At the time, the president of Nigeria was the General Officer Commanding (GOC). However, in 1985, he was overthrown out of power during the coup d'etat that was led by General Ibrahim Babangida.
President Muhammadu Buhari
During the 2003 elections, the current Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari ran for the presidential seat under the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP). He did not secure the position. In 2007, he unsuccessfully ran for office under the APP and lost to Umaru Yar'Adua. In 2011, he ran for office under the Congress for Progressive Change and lost to Goodluck Jonathan. During the 2015 elections, he took part in the presidential elections as a candidate of the All Progressives Congress party and outshone President Goodluck Jonathan. On 29th May 2015, he was sworn in as the president of Nigeria.
In 2019, he was re-elected for a second term under the All Progressives Congress Party after he defeated Atiku Abubakar of the People's Democratic Party.
READ ALSO: Beyoncé shows support to Nigeria in heart-wrenching #EndSARS post
Muhammadu Buhari on SARS
Source: Facebook
Buhari has called on the international community "to know all facts" regarding the alleged death of the protesters. On Tuesday, 20th October 2020, he called on the anti-police brutality protesters to end the demonstrations and engage the government. He also announced that he had disbanded the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS.
Earlier, Babagana Monguno, the National Security Adviser, had informed reporters about the president's directive. He stated that the president had urged the security agencies to "operate within the confines of legality" and "not to do anything that will aggravate the situation."
The National Security Adviser made the following remarks about the president's opinion on the situation,
Mr President is very concerned about this development and does not want a situation in which everything breaks down and results in anarchy, in lawlessness and people taking the law into their own hands.
#EndSARS protests
For the past two weeks, tens of thousands of Nigerians have been protesting against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, the now-disbanded police unit. The unit is being accused of harassments, tortures, extortion and murders.
Nigerians started the #EndSARS hashtag on social media to express their anger and disappointment in the police unit. The protests were fueled by a viral video of a young man who was killed in the Southern Delta State by alleged SARS officers. Demonstrations began on 8th October 2020 in Lagos, and on 11th October 2020, President Buhari announced that the police unit had been disbanded. Despite the move, the demonstrators vowed to continue with the protests to seek justice for the victims.
20th October killings
On 20th October, the country's security forces are accused of shooting and killing peaceful demonstrators in Lagos. Amnesty International reported that it had received "credible but disturbing evidence of excessive use of force occasioning deaths of protesters at Lekki toll gate in Lagos". The international body also stated that at least 56 people had died and that there was a likelihood that the death toll would be higher.
The Human Rights Watch also confirmed the claims referring to the incident as a “shooting spree”.
On 21st October 2020, President Buhari stated that the demands of the demonstrators regarding reforms were taking place and that justice would be served for the victims. Meanwhile, Governor Babjide Sanwo-Olu, during an interview, stated that if need be, the military would be deployed.
The chairman of the African Union Commission condemned the deadly violence in the country and called for privilege dialogue regarding the matter.
READ ALSO: Nigeria protest: State denies involvement after protestors gunned down
Muhammadu Buhari spouse
Source: Facebook
He married his first wife, Safinatu (née Yusuf) in 1971, although they divorced in 1988. In 1989, he married Aisha Buhari (née Halilu), his second and current wife. The former first lady, Safinatu, passed on on 16th January 2006 due to complications related to diabetes.
Muhammadu Buhari children
The president of Nigeria and his first wife had five children, four girls and a boy: Zulaihat, Fatima, Musa, Safinatu, and Hadiza. In November 2012, Buhari's eldest daughter, Zulaihat, succumbed to sickle cell anaemia, two days after delivering a baby in Kaduna. His son Musa also passed on.
His marriage to Aisha Buhari also gave rise to five children, four girls and a boy: Aisha, Halima, Yusuf, Zahra, and Amina.
Frequently asked questions
Apart from President Muhammadu Buhari news regarding the state of the nation, this information will help in unveiling who he is. These details are not talked about often. You ought to know more about him though.
Where is Muhammadu Buhari from?
He was born in Daura, Kastina State, Nigeria. He is from a Fulani family, and his father served as a chieftain. He was the twenty-third child in his family.
When was Muhammadu Buhari born?
He was born on 17th December 1942 to Mallam Hardo Adamu and Zulaihat. He spent his childhood in Katsina up until 1961 when he joined the Nigerian Military Training College. Currently, he is seventy-seven years old, although he will be turning seventy-eight in less than two months.
Who was Muhammadu Buhari running mate 2015?
During the March 2015 presidential elections in Nigeria, Buhari's running mate was Yemi Osinbajo, and he secured the presidential seat by garnering 15,424,921 popular votes. They were running on the All Progressives Congress ticket. Yemi Osinbajo is the vice president of Nigeria.
Who is the president of Nigeria?
Currently, Muhammadu Buhari is the sitting president of Nigeria. He got into office in 2015 and was re-elected into power in 2019. He earned the position through an All Progressives Congress party a presidential ticket.
By now, you not only have a clear picture of what is happening in Nigeria but also know more about where President Muhammadu Buhari stands regarding the issue. Be sure to leave your comments about the matter.
READ ALSO: Nigerians living in SA take protest to Pretoria High Commission
Briefly.co.za reported about Nigerians in South Africa are protesting to the Pretoria High Commission. The protesters were in solidarity with the EndSARS movement that has caused unrest in Nigeria. The youths in the country have vowed to protest for justice to be granted for the victims.
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Source: Briefly News
