13 facts you should know about Major General Muhammadu Buhari

Muhammadu Buhari

It is President (Major General) Muhammadu Buhari’s birthday today December 17, 2019. He clocks 77. How much do you know about his family and main achievements?

Here are 13 facts you should know about him:

1. Muhammadu Buhari was born on December 17, 1942 in Daura.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Buhari who was educated largely in Katsina, took military training in Kaduna as well as in Great Britain, India, and the United States.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. By 1977 Buhari had become the military secretary at Supreme Military Headquarters, which was the seat of government.
9. In 2003 Buhari ran for president and was defeated by the incumbent, Olusegun Obasanjo of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
10. Buhari ran again in 2007 but was defeated by the PDP’s candidate, Umaru Yar’Adua.
11. 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.
12. In 2014, the All Progressives Congress (APC) party nominated Buhari to stand as its candidate in the 2015 presidential election.
13. 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.