THE death of two prominent Nigerians, who were also bosom friends and passed away few hours apart last week Sunday, has once again shown the all-powerful nature of God. Former President Muhammadu Buhari died in a London Clinic at the age of 82, while the Awujale of Ijebu Land, Oba Sikiru Adetona gave up the ghost few hours later at the age of 91.
Both were friends who loved and respected each other, and their deaths left many Nigerians in tears. Their friendship began in 1983, immediately Buhari became the Head of State. Two years before then, Oba Adetona had run into trouble with the then Governor of Ogun State, Bisi Onabanjo, when he wrote a letter to the Governor informing him of his potential visit to the UK for a medical vacation.
The Governor demanded further explanation from the monarch before he could approve the journey, but Oba Adetona was already in London before the query reached him. The Governor immediately wielded the big stick. On November 23, 1981, Oba Adetona was suspended from office as the Awujale of Ijebuland. Onabanjo also set up a commission of enquiry to probe the affairs of the suspended Oba Adetona. The commission quickly recommended the deposition of Oba Adetona as Awujale of Ijebu. The monarch remained suspended while the case was stalled in court for three years.
Then, on December 31, 1983, a military coup led by Buhari upended the Nigerian Second Republic. All the elected officials were removed from power, including Onabanjo. Oladipo Diya became the military governor of Ogun state. A few months later, a high court overturned the findings of Onabanjo’s commission on Oba Adetona, and the monarch was restored to the throne.
It was Marcus Tulius Cicero (January 3, 106 BC – December 7 43 BC) who stated in one of his famous quotes that “The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living.” Indeed, the legacy and impact of a person who has died continues to exist through the memories and recollections of those who knew them. Their influence on others, their stories, and their contributions to the world are kept alive through remembrance.
In this piece, I shall attempt to place on record, the contributions and impact of these two individuals on the life of Nigerians, starting with former President Buhari. Born on December 17, 1942, in Daura, Katsina State, to Adamu and Zulaiha Buhari, he was raised by his mother, following the death of his father when he was about four years old.
He had his primary education in Daura and Maidua from 1948 to 1952, before proceeding to Katsina Middle School in 1953. Subsequently, he attended the Katsina Provincial Secondary School (now Government College, Katsina) from 1956 to 1961, before joining the Nigerian Army in 1961 and rose through the ranks. The military coup of December, 1983, led to the emergence of General Buhari as the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, a position in which he served until August, 1985, when he was removed in a palace coup.
His legacy while in power was that of a no-nonsense General that was in a hurry to whip all Nigerians into line. Indeed, one of the most enduring legacies of his administration was the establishment of the War Against Indiscipline (WAI), launched on March 20, 1984. That policy tried to address the perceived lack of public morality and civic responsibility on Nigerian society. His administration faced criticism for its stern measures, yet even detractors acknowledged Buhari’s personal integrity. He was austere, incorruptible, and firmly committed to the idea of a disciplined and functional Nigeria.
Economically, the Buhari regime emphasised frugality slashing public spending, banning foreign loans by state governments, curbing imports, and promoting industrialisation. Yet, his tenure was criticised for its authoritarian tendencies: the jailing of public officials without trial, the suppression of the press, and sweeping human rights violations. After his removal from office, Buhari quietly withdrew from public life and lived in Kaduna.
Remarkably, Buhari’s legacy expanded further when he returned to politics as a democratic leader. After three unsuccessful presidential bids, he achieved a historic victory in 2015, defeating an incumbent President – an unprecedented milestone in Nigeria’s democratic journey. But at the age of 72, a period when most men seek retirement, Buhari courageously assumed leadership to address Nigeria’s critical issues of insecurity, corruption, and institutional decay.
But his presidency was dogged by criticism. Many accused him of running an insular, nepotistic government citing lopsided appointments heavily tilted towards his Northern base.
In one of his reviews of his own administration, he felt bad that there was little he could at the age of 72, believing, rightly, that he would have achieved more if he had been a younger President by the time he took office in 2015. He spent several weeks out of the country to seek medical treatment in London. Instead of establishing state-of-the-art medical facilities at home, most Nigerian leaders believe in seeking medical care outside the shores of the country. Buhari was not an exception.
Many knew of his little knowledge of the economy, but believed – and rightly so – that his military background would go a long way in tackling insecurity that was festering in the country when he assumed office in 2015. The insurgent group, Boko Haram, was having a free rein in the North with lives being lost on a daily basis. In fact, the statistics paint a grim picture.
According to the Nigeria Security Tracker, over 63,000 Nigerians were killed in violent incidents during Buhari’s eight years in office, averaging about 22 deaths per day. The worst years were between 2019 and 2021, with annual deaths exceeding 9,000. The government’s failure to significantly curb kidnappings, banditry, and communal violence undermined Buhari’s initial campaign promise to restore security.
Again, Fulani herders and farmers’ clashes became a daily occurrence, with lives of farmers threatened by herders. But his government took sides with his kinsmen – the cow herders – insisting that they have the right to move their cows from one part of the country to others in search of food for their cattle.
On the economic front, his administration faced inflation that more than doubled, rising from about nine per cent in 2015 to over 22 per cent by 2023, while unemployment surged from 10.4 per cent in 2015 to 33.4 per cent in 2020. Tackling corruption was a cornerstone of Buhari’s campaign rhetoric, and while some high-profile prosecutions occurred, critics argue that the effort was selective and failed to uproot entrenched graft. Institutional reforms were largely neglected, allowing corruption to fester.
In the dying days of his administration, Buhari allowed the former CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, to introduce a dubious exchange rate policy as well as the redesign of the Naira that led to the death of many Nigerians. Today, Emefiele is having his days in court. The fuel subsidy regime, which Buhari once described as fraudulent, persisted for most of his time in office.
Meanwhile, Nigeria overtook India as the world’s poverty capital under his watch. He was widely known for his Spartan lifestyle – a trait that distinguished him from many of his contemporaries in Nigerian and African politics. Throughout his career, Buhari projected an image of personal austerity, modesty, and discipline. He avoided lavish living, kept a relatively low profile outside of official duties, and was seen as frugal in both private and public conduct. This personal simplicity became a central part of his public persona and contributed significantly to his reputation for integrity.
Now to his friend, Oba Sikiru Adetona, the Awujale of Ijebuland. Born on Thursday, May 10, 1934, to Omo Oba Rufai Adetona and Wulemot Ajibabi Adetona (née Onashile) of Ijebu Igbo, Sikiru’s royal path seemed carved from birth. His father, a contender for the Awujale stool, surrendered his claim so that his son, studying Accountancy in the United Kingdom, could ascend the revered throne of Ijebu Ode. His early life traversed the bustling classrooms of Baptist School, Ereko, Ogbere United Primary School, and Ansarudeen Primary School, all in Ijebu Ode.
His formative years at Olu Iwa College (now Adeola Odutola College) prepared him for an initial career in the civil service, first with the Western Region Ministry of Finance in Ibadan, then onward to the United Kingdom to study as an aspiring Chartered Accountant. His 65-year reign stands as one of Nigeria’s longest and most influential traditional tenures – a legacy steeped in splendour, turbulence, and the audacity to defy even the most powerful.
Oba Adetona will be remembered as a visionary bridge-builder between tradition and modernity. He revitalised the Ijebu age-grade system the Regberegbe giving young Ijebus a sense of cultural pride and structured communal service. He championed the Ijebu Development Board on Poverty Reduction, which created economic opportunities for indigent citizens. Under his watch, the annual Ojude Oba festival, once a modest Muslim homage, became a world-renowned cultural carnival, drawing tourists and uniting the diaspora. He modernised the Ijebu palace with the iconic Ojude Pavilion and used his influence to push for infrastructural development across Ijebuland.
The life of Oba Adetona was marked by courage, commitment to democratic ideals as well as the pursuit of greater development of Ijebu land and Nigeria as a whole. For instance, during the struggles after the annulment of the Late MKO Abiola’s June 12 presidential election, Oba Adetona was amongst the royal fathers who never pretended that the military had overstayed and that there was an urgent need to return the country to the democratic path.
The paramount ruler also cleverly stood up against the military dictator, the late General Sani Abacha, who had wanted to kill his then deputy, the late General Oladipupo Diya, a distinguished son from Odogbolu, Ijebu land, over what was alleged to be a phantom coup.
Towards the twilight of his reign, Oba Adetona, tried to modernise the Obaship institution in the state by ensuring that the Ogun State Government signed into law, a new legislation that allows Obas in the state to be buried according to their faith. The development follows the enforcement of the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State, 2021, which empowers traditional rulers to be buried according to their personal religious convictions rather than strictly by native rites.
Specifically, Section 55 of the law provides that while customary practices may still be applied during a monarch’s burial, these must comply with the wishes of the deceased and follow outlined procedures. Subsections (iii) to (v) spell out the procedural safeguards required to apply traditional customs, effectively allowing a monarch to opt out of ancestral rites. And that was what happened during his burial, as soldiers ensured that Oba Adeona was given an Islamic burial.
Traditionalists accused the government of eroding centuries-old customs and the matter is still generating reactions beyond the shores of Ogun State till today.
Buhari and Adetona have done their bit and departed, but their legacies would live on in the minds of Nigerians for several generations. May their souls rest in perfect peace.
See you next week.
- Akintunde is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Glittersonline newspaper. His syndicated column, Monday Discourse, appears on News Point Nigeria newspaper on Mondays.