The remains of former President Muhammadu Buhari were on Tuesday laid to rest in his hometown, Daura, Katsina State, in a solemn ceremony that drew dignitaries from across Nigeria and beyond.
Buhari, who served Nigeria as both a military Head of State and a democratically elected president under the All Progressives Congress (APC), was buried amid mixed reactions trailing his death.
President Bola Tinubu, his successor, now faces the challenge of steering the ruling party towards the 2027 general elections without the political influence of the late Buhari, who was widely regarded as the rallying point of the APC, especially in the North.
The late President had contested five presidential elections between 2003 and 2019, losing three times before finally winning in 2015 and securing re-election in 2019. Despite the losses, he consistently pulled an impressive 12 million votes in almost all elections he contested, underscoring his grassroots followership.
Many analysts believe that Buhari’s exit could have far-reaching effects on the fortunes of APC in 2027.
Speaking during Channels Television’s live broadcast of Buhari’s burial, APC chieftain and Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University of Transportation, Daura, Wahab Owokoniran, admitted that the party has lost a political colossus.
“There’s no doubt this is going to be a big loss. One thing I can assure you is that Tinubu is a master strategist,” Owokoniran said.
“Before now, for the past 39 years he has been building bridges across the country. You can be assured that now he’s a sitting president he will consolidate all the bridges he has built over the years and possibly he must have made new friends.
“Certainly, we are going to lose some but we will definitely gain some. Yes we are going to lose some but at the end of the day it’s going to balance out. I don’t see the APC losing the next election.”
He acknowledged that Buhari’s political shoes would be difficult for anyone to fill but expressed confidence in the party’s resilience.
“To be honest with you, I think his shoe is going to be bigger for anybody to fill. But one thing I can assure you is that nature doesn’t habour a vacuum.
“You know at a time, Musa Yar’adua was about the biggest politician in the north. When he died, people were wondering, Oh, who is going to be the rallying point within the North?
“But as long as we have it after him, Buhari emerged as the rallying point. I’m very sure that another person will emerge. Who that person will be, I cannot tell you for now,” he added.
Meanwhile, Buhari’s burial coincided with the unveiling of a formidable political coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi, Nasir El-Rufai, and Peter Obi. The coalition has vowed to unseat Tinubu in the 2027 election.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Salihu Lukman, a former APC chieftain and current member of the ADC coalition, argued that Buhari’s absence would force politicians to engage citizens with greater humility.
“Buhari was certainly a great politician,” Lukman stated.
“In contemporary Nigeria, he stood out as one of those politicians who commanded a lot of popularity, especially in the northern part of the country. His popularity made it possible for the merger of APC in 2013/2014 to be consummated.
“I’m aware, being somebody from the north, I know many politicians look forward to him raising their hands and for him endorsing them, that translated into victory in many places in the north.
“That in a way made politicians to be lazy. Most people who aspire for positions instead of going into good negotiations and relationships with citizens, so that it translates to votes, now concentrate in terms of being in his good books.
“Today, we don’t have any figure like that, which is why I am one of those in the coalition who keeps raising the point that leaders of the coalition must remember we don’t have a figure like late President Buhari, who when he raises your hand it translates to victory. This means that politicians should begin to engage citizens with more listening ears and dispositions.
“The challenge of having somebody like late President Buhari, now absent in Nigerian politics, is that they must win election, except if they want to rig. They must be humble to relate with citizens with a higher level of humility,” Lukman said.
Public Affairs Analyst and Communication Scholar at Peaceland University, Enugu, Nduka Odo, told DAILY POST that Buhari’s death could spell disaster for the APC if not managed strategically.
“The demise of former President Buhari has left people questioning the fate of APC towards 2027 elections,” Odo said.
“However, I see beyond the sudden incident. The crack was already there. Remember, then VP Osinbajo became a contestant after what seemed like a consultation with his late boss, President Buhari. It appeared like Buhari wanted to renege on whatever agreement he entered into with Tinubu. That was when Tinubu started shouting, ‘Emilokan!’
“If you pay attention, you’ll see that it never healed. The betrayal of trust or what seemed like it still haunted APC.”
He further noted the implications of major northern political heavyweights decamping to ADC.
“Remember that Buhari came with his CPC group to form APC with Tinubu’s ACN and the new PDP guys. Recent incidents have shown that the CPC and the new PDP groups have left APC for Tinubu and his core team from ACN. El Rufai, Atiku, and Amaechi are now in the ADC.
“This means a lot as Buhari bowed out. Hate or love, Buhari was initially adored in the North. Most of his followers remained in the APC.
“I’ve observed that northerners play a centralised, multitude politics. They usually prefer to follow the political path of a leader. This makes the followers easier to manage in elections.
“If APC is able to sustain that idea of Buhari as a figurehead to follow, even after his death, then the party has nothing to worry about the votes of Buharists.
“However, two other factors seem to make this unsurmountable. One, the Buhari government impoverished tens of millions of Nigerians, including and especially Buharists. A hungry man has no admiration for a political ideology. Their only focus is survival. And they will hate anyone who brings suffering on them.
“That’s why we saw videos of jubilations from the north upon the announcement of Buhari’s death. Additionally, like Rehoboam, President Tinubu’s government has multiplied whatever yoke his predecessor put on the people.
“Secondly, many political leaders from the North are jostling to become the darlings of the North. Think El Rufai, think Atiku. They’re now in the ADC. This signals disaster for APC.
“Beyond that, it seems there’s an internal squabble in the presidency. Permutations are rife that VP Shettima is sidelined in Aso Rock. And Tinubu plans to drop him in 2027. We all saw the fight at the APC North East convention. They said they won’t support Tinubu if Shettima is dropped. Remember, Shettima too comes from CPC, the Buhari party.”
Odo concluded by criticising the APC media team for releasing a video highlighting how Buhari became president through Tinubu’s help on the day of Buhari’s burial.
“Talking about the bankable 12 million votes Buhari had before 2015, I disagree. He was able to win due to the alliance. However, it is despicable that Bayo Onanuga had to drop the video about how Buhari was able to become president through the support of Tinubu and ACN, on the same day that Buhari’s remains were being lowered.
“Buhari’s departure will affect APC and Tinubu unless they manage it ahead.”
As Nigeria continues to mourn the passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari, political permutations towards 2027 have already begun to take shape, with both ruling and opposition parties recalibrating for a fierce contest in his absence.
