Muhammadu Buhari is the 15th head of the
Nigerian government since 1960, the fifth
democratically elected president, the first
opposition candidate to win the presidential
election and the second president of Katsina
origin. What else do you know about him?
1. KATSINA PRODUCES ANOTHER PRESIDENT
Buhari ran against his fellow Katsina man,
Yar’Adua, in 2007
Katsina state has again produced a Nigerian head
of state — the third since 1983. Buhari, from Daura,
then in Kaduna state, was the first. Katsina state
was carved out of Kaduna state in 1987 by Ibrahim
Babangida. Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, former
governor of Katsina state, became the second
president from Katsina in 2007. Buhari’s return in
2015 means the state has produced yet another
president. It could have been more. Shehu Musa
Yar’Adua, elder brother of Umaru, made a bid in
1992 and after getting the presidential ticket of the
Social Democratic Party (SDP), the process was
cancelled. He was still hoping to contest when he
was arrested and jailed for allegedly plotting a
coup in 1995. He did not come out of the prison
alive.
2. THIRD EX-GOVERNOR TO BE PRESIDENT
Jonathan was the second ex-governor to be
president
There is yet another interesting fact about Buhari
— he has joined the league of former governors to
be elected president. Having served as the military
governor of the old north-eastern state from 1975
to 1976, he has equalled the record of Umaru
Musa Yar’Adua, who became president in 2007
after serving as Katsina governor from 1999-2007,
and Goodluck Jonathan, who was Bayelsa governor
from 2005-2007. The major difference, though, is
that Buhari was a military, not an elected,
governor. The north-eastern state governed by him
is now broken into six: Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno,
Gombe, Taraba and Yobe.
3. ANOTHER EX-MINISTER AS PRESIDENT
Shagari was a three-time minister before he
became president
Murtala Muhammed. Olusegun Obasanjo. Shehu
Shagari. Sani Abacha. Muhammadu Buhari. They
all have something in common — they are all
former ministers who went on to become heads of
state. Muhammed was federal commissioner
(minister) for communications under Gowon until
the 1975 coup when he became head of state.
Obasanjo, head of state from 1976 after
Muhammed’s death, was federal commissioner for
works. Obasanjo appointed Buhari federal
commissioner for petroleum and natural resources
in 1976. Shagari, who was elected president in
1979, was minister of economic development in
1960, minister of internal affairs in 1962 and
minister of works and survey in 1965. Abacha was
appointed minister of defence by Babangida in
1990.
4. OLDEST PRESIDENT
Gowon was youngest head of state at 31. Buhari
at 72 is oldest
Buhari is the oldest person to assume the office of
president in Nigeria. He is 72 years and five
months old. He broke the record set by Obasanjo
in 1999 who became the oldest Nigerian president
at 62. The youngest remains Gowon, who was
made head of state a few months shy of his 32nd
birthday in 1966. Two other heads of state
assumed office in their thirties: Muhammed (37) in
1975 and Obasanjo (38) in 1976. Abubakar Tafawa
Balewa (47), Ironsi (41), Buhari (41) and Babangida
(41) all ruled in their forties. Shagari (54),
Shonekan (57), Abacha (50), Abdulsalami Abubakar
(55), Yar’Adua (55) and Jonathan (52) assumed
office in their fifties. The most common age is 41.

5. CHILD NO. 23
Buhari is married to Aisha
Buhari is not short of elder brothers and sisters.
He was born Child No. 23 to the family of Adamu
Buhari in Daura, Katsina state, on December 17,
1942. His mother’s name was Zulaihat — the name
he gave to his first daughter. He is a monogamist,
like all previous Nigerian leaders (apart from
Obasanjo and Shagari). Buhari divorced his first
wife in 1988 and remarried in 1989.
6. ADDICT OF BBC HAUSA SERVICE
Radio before breakfast
Buhari listens to BBC Hausa service religiously. He
told TheCable in an interview last year: “I am an
avid listener of the Voice of America and the BBC,
Hausa service. This is because over the years I
have discovered that they have been very, very
helpful in educating the mostly illiterate Hausa-
speaking populace. From Agadez or even from
Tripoli down almost to South Africa, and from
Senegal to Central Africa Republic, there is large
body of Hausa-speaking communities, not
necessarily Nigerian or Hausa, but those who
speak the language because of trading over the
centuries. I found out VOA and BBC commentaries
on politics and economics very good. They help to
educate people. And they allow people to discuss,
express different opinions and they interpret it, and
I find that very helpful.”
7. PRO-AUSTERITY
In his military days
For those who may be wondering about his
economic direction, Buhari does not run away from
adopting austerity policies in the face of economic
crunch. In his first budget in 1984, he announced
a range of belt-tightening measures to combat the
crisis. These measures included: a temporary ban
on recruitment, raising of interest rates, suspension
of capital projects, and embargo on borrowing by
states, among others.
8. RIDING HORSES
Little Buhari’s favourite horse
In the absence of real horses, he enjoyed playing
with straw horses as a kid. Sani Abubakar Dan
Kurma, one of his elementary school classmates,
recently told Daily Trust: “We played with sand
together and rode straw horses… There was this
time when we were children and we went to the
outskirts of town to play our version of polo with
straw horses and sticks, hitting a ball made from
Goruba. It was our favourite game then. As we
played, I hit him with the dum-palm seed which
served as a ball and he fell down. I consoled him
fervently, assuring him it was a mistake, so much
so that he also began to console me. That’s his
character: he was the wronged party, yet he was
telling me sorry.
@thecableng

Nobody could have stopped this history from being made. The President's resolve is a lesson to all that our goals are indeed achievable. May God help him.

Good

Change is finally here, let's move this country forward

Child No 23....

Shyte...
Buhari's father na BADOOooo
He just dey score like C.Ronaldo in his lifetime...



Father Lord...
Help our new president ...
We trust on u to make his tenure a turn-around era for this Nation...