BNP 019: Buhari Is Dead. To Mourn or Not to Mourn Nigeria’s Soldier-President?

Send us Fan MailOn July 13, 2025, Nigeria’s former military ruler turned civilian president, Muhammadu Buhari, died in a London hospital. His life and leadership raise a fundamental question at the heart of Africa’s postcolonial journey: Can the military ever be trusted to birth democracy?In this episode, we explore the layered legacy of Buhari — from his 1983 coup that toppled President Shehu Shagari, to his 2015 election as a “reformed democrat” defeating Goodluck Jonathan. We examine his controversial economic policies, his role in the anti-corruption war, and the tensions with movements like #EndSARS, which criticized his government’s police brutality and lack of accountability.Zooming out, we unpack Africa’s long, troubled love affair with military power — from Captain Ibrahim Traoré in Burkina Faso, Assimi Goïta in Mali, and Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan in Sudan, to the enduring civilian stability in countries like South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia. We question whether civilian rule is inherently better — especially when democracies become corrupt, compromised, or complicit.And in the shadows, we trace the foreign fingerprints in many of these coups — France’s interests in the Sahel, Russia’s Wagner Group, U.S. military alliances, and China’s quiet influence.All of it loops back to a single, haunting name: Thomas Sankara — the pan-Africanist icon whose assassination, ideals, and memory continue to echo across a continent still yearning for justice, dignity, and true freedom.#Africa #Coup, #MilitaryRule, #NigerianDespots, #Dictators, #Buhari #Legacy, #AfricaCrisis, #SahelCoups, #Sankara #Myth,  #MilitaryPower, #SouthAfrica #HybridRegime, #ForeignInfluence, #Postcolonial #Governance, #CoupInAfrica.