It is President Muhammadu Buhari’s birthday today. He clocks 77 years today. How much do you know about his family and main achievements? Being the President of a great nation like Nigeria attracts such a very huge leadership burden.
Here are 13 facts you should know about him:
- Muhammadu Buhari was born on December 17, 1942 in Daura.
- He is a Nigerian military leader and politician who served as Nigeria’s head of state in 1984–85 and was democratically elected president in 2015.
- Buhari was born in a big Fulani family. His father’s name was Hardo Adamu (Chief of Fulani). He had many children, and Buhari was the ‘23rd’ kid of Hardo Adamu.
- Buhari’s mother, Zulaihat, raised her child on her own after the death of the Fulani chief (this happened when the Buhari turned 4 years old.
- Buhari who was educated largely in Katsina, took military training in Kaduna as well as in Great Britain, India, and the United States.
- He was involved in the military coup that ousted Yakubu Gowon in 1975 and was appointed military governor of North Eastern state (now Borno) that same year.
- He was appointed Federal Commissioner for Petroleum Resources by Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, who became military head of state when Gowon’s successor, Murtala Mohammed, was assassinated in 1976.
- By 1977 Buhari had become the military secretary at Supreme Military Headquarters, which was the seat of government.
- In 2003 Buhari ran for president and was defeated by the incumbent, Olusegun Obasanjo of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
- Buhari ran again in 2007 but was defeated by the PDP’s candidate, Umaru Yar’Adua.
- Buhari also stood in the 2011 presidential election, which was praised for largely being transparent, free, and fair, but he again lost to the PDP’s candidate, incumbent Goodluck Jonathan.
- In 2014, the All Progressives Congress (APC) party nominated Buhari to stand as its candidate in the 2015 presidential election.
- Buhari married to Aisha Halilu since 1989. Together, they are raising 5 children and 1 grandchild. However, He had 5 kids from his previous marriage to late Safinatu Yusuf.