By Emmanuel Okogba
Halima Buhari, daughter of former President Muhammadu Buhari, has offered rare insight into the private life of her late father, revealing that he was fully aware of public criticism and the disappointment felt by many Nigerians over his administration.
She made the disclosure on Wednesday, December 17, during the presentation of a book authored by former Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, according to the Nigerian Tribune.
Speaking before an audience that included former ministers, ex-governors, traditional rulers and political party chieftains, Halima said her father understood that many Nigerians who had placed immense hope in his leadership – particularly on security and economic recovery – felt let down by his performance in office.
Reflecting on the burdens of leadership, she said Buhari often grappled with the difficult realities of governing a complex country like Nigeria, where expectations frequently clash with practical limitations.
“Behind every soundbite, there was a human being; sometimes tired, sometimes determined, sometimes frustrated, always painfully aware that his decisions impacted millions of lives,” she said.
“That human being was our father. I saw a side of him that never appeared on television and was rarely captured in print.”
Halima described Buhari as a reserved man who listened more than he spoke and carried the weight of national concerns deeply.
“I saw the man who would sit quietly, listening more than he spoke. The man who worried about the security of ordinary people. The man who agonised over the gap between what was promised and what was possible,” she said.
“For the public, he was President Buhari. For us at home, he was simply ‘Baba.’”
She noted that leadership, especially in Nigeria, is rarely straightforward and often involves difficult compromises.
“Leadership, especially in a country as complex as Nigeria, is never as straightforward as it looks from the outside,” she said. “It involves trade-offs, compromises, and very often, imperfect choices.”
According to her, the former president was neither insulated from criticism nor dismissive of opposing views.
“My father was not unaware of the criticism levelled against him. He knew that many Nigerians felt that more would have been done or done differently,” she said.
“He heard the voices of those who were disappointed, just as he heard the gratitude of those who felt their lives had improved.”
Halima stressed that the occasion was not intended to reshape or sanitise her father’s legacy, noting that debate over his years in office remains a healthy part of democratic discourse.
“Our presence here today is not to rewrite that history or to insist on a single interpretation of his years in office,” she said. “Nigerians will continue to debate his legacy as they should in a vibrant democracy.”
She added that varying accounts of Buhari’s presidency would continue to emerge.
“There will be books that praise, books that criticise, and books that will try to document,” she said.
Referring specifically to Lai Mohammed’s book, Halima described it as a significant contribution from an insider’s perspective.
“This particular book, written by someone who was in the inner circle of communication and messaging, provides one important perspective of how an administration must be shaped and sometimes challenged in the court of public opinion,” she said.
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