Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has called on Nigerians and political actors to refrain from politicising the legacy of late President Muhammadu Buhari, urging that he be allowed to rest in peace.
El-Rufai made the appeal in a statement issued on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, in reaction to the recent launch of a book on Buhari’s life and legacy.
He expressed concern that the book presentation had reignited old divisions among individuals who once worked closely with the former president, noting that participation at the event appeared selective and reflective of factional lines that existed during Buhari’s lifetime.
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According to El-Rufai, some persons who publicly criticised Buhari while he was alive were now offering what he described as exaggerated tributes, raising questions about sincerity and historical accuracy. He warned against attempts to reshape Buhari’s legacy to suit narrow political interests or deflect responsibility for current challenges.
The former governor also cautioned against attributing statements or motivations to the late president without full context, stressing that selective accounts could distort, rather than preserve, historical truth, especially as Buhari is no longer alive to clarify issues.
El-Rufai acknowledged that Buhari’s administration had shortcomings but said the former president remained a man of faith, discipline and patriotism, adding that some of the failures of the administration were linked to the actions of individuals around him rather than Buhari personally.
He urged Nigerians to allow history to judge the former president fairly, without opportunism or revisionism, and said the best way to honour Buhari’s memory was by upholding values of integrity, humility and service to the nation.
Buhari, who served as Nigeria’s military Head of State from 1983 to 1985 and civilian President from 2015 to 2023, died earlier this year.
