Jonathan to present Buhari’s biography

• Tinubu, Gowon scheduled to attend

By Chesa Chesa

Former President Goodluck Jonathan will lead the presentation of a three-volume authorised biography of late former President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on November 19, with President Bola Tinubu expected to attend as guest of honour.

The event, which is expected to bring together prominent political leaders, former heads of state, military officers, diplomats and members of the academic community, will document Buhari’s life, military career, political journey and eight-year administration.

Chairman of the Planning Committee and former Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu, disclosed the arrangements at a press conference on Wednesday.

Adamu said former Niger Republic President Mahamadou Issoufou would chair the occasion, while the three volumes feature forewords by Issoufou, former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, and former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.

He said the organisers intended the presentation to transcend political affiliations and provide an opportunity for Nigerians from different backgrounds to engage with Buhari’s place in the country’s history.

“We are deliberately seeking to make the occasion broader than a gathering of political associates. Muhammadu Buhari was a partisan political actor during important periods of his life, but his biography belongs to the historical record of Nigeria,” he said.

According to him, the event will attract members of Buhari’s family, former colleagues, political associates, military officers, academics, diplomats, private sector representatives, civil society organisations, the media and the general public.

The biography, titled Muhammadu Buhari: The Authorised Biography, was authorised by the former president during his lifetime and developed with his extensive personal involvement through interviews and other research engagements.

It also draws on years of documentary research and interviews with individuals who knew Buhari, worked with him, opposed him or served as his advisers.

The first volume, Buhari: The Phenomenon, examines his early life, military career, tenure as military Head of State and eventual return to democratic politics, culminating in his historic victory in the 2015 presidential election.

The second volume, Buhari: The Presidency, focuses on his eight years in office between 2015 and 2023, while the third, Buhari: The Reckoning, assesses his administration’s record in areas including the economy, security, infrastructure, foreign policy, anti-corruption, institutional reforms and social policy.

Adamu said the significance of the publication extended beyond the unveiling ceremony, stressing the need to preserve the volumes as resources for historical research and national documentation.

He urged universities, libraries, research institutions, military and security establishments, public agencies and diplomatic missions to acquire copies for future generations.

“We invite Nigerians to approach these volumes with curiosity rather than with predetermined conclusions,” he said.

Author and chief biographer of the book, Udu Yakubu, in his remarks explained “the work was authorised by President Buhari. That authorisation opened doors. It enabled access to people, recollections and documentary trails that would otherwise have been difficult to reach. But authorisation did not mean surrendering judgement.

“The subject has had his voice in the biography, while the biographer has had or retained his independence. That was particularly important with Buhari because few Nigerian leaders have attracted such divided interpretations. For some, he represented discipline, restraint and incorruptibility. For others, rigidity, economic misjudgement and political insensitivity.”

Buhari had taken power from Jonathan following a hotly contested presidential election in 2015, and died in July 2025 after handing over the presidency to Tinubu in 2023.

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