The author of the authorised biography of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, Dr Udu Yakubu, has said the three-volume publication will provide an independent account of the late president’s leadership, examining his achievements, failures and controversies during his military and democratic careers.
Yakubu disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing the press ahead of the public presentation of Muhammadu Buhari: The Authorised Biography.
He said the work was based on more than two years of extensive research, interviews, writing and documentary reviews, noting that Buhari personally authorised the project in 2024, following their meeting in Daura, Katsina State, where he sought the former president’s consent to document his life and political career.
According to him, Buhari had previously declined several attempts to write his biography but agreed to the project after their meeting in January 2024.
Yakubu said work on the biography commenced in April 2024 with Buhari’s full participation, adding that the authorisation provided access to individuals, personal recollections and documentary records that would otherwise have been difficult to obtain.
However, he stressed that the former president’s participation did not mean surrendering editorial independence.
“Buhari had his voice in the biography, but the biographer had retained his independence,” he said.
The author stated that the biography was published in three volumes to adequately capture the different stages of Buhari’s life, from his early years and military career to his emergence as a democratic leader and his eight-year presidency between 2015 and 2023.
He said the first volume, Buhari: The Phenomenon, examines his background, military career, emergence into national prominence and eventual journey through opposition politics to the presidency, while the second volume, Buhari: The Presidency, focuses on his administration from 2015 to 2023, examining its policies, achievements, challenges, controversies and the personalities and institutions that shaped his government.
The third volume, Buhari: The Reckoning, evaluates his legacy, particularly in the areas of the economy, security, infrastructure, foreign affairs, anti-corruption and institutional reforms.
Yakubu noted that Buhari remained a controversial figure in Nigeria’s political history, attracting both admiration and criticism across different regions and generations, adding that while some Nigerians regarded the late president as a symbol of discipline, restraint and incorruptibility, others criticised his rigidity, economic decisions and perceived political insensitivity.
Yakubu added that Buhari’s death changed the circumstances of the research by closing the opportunity for further direct questions and clarifications, while insisting that the biography would not become a memorial publication or attempt to soften judgements because of the former president’s death.
Earlier, chairman of the planning committee, Engr. Sulaiman Adamu, said the forthcoming public presentation was intended to promote national reflection on history, leadership, public service and the preservation of institutional memory.
Adamu described Buhari as a significant figure in Nigeria’s modern history whose public career spanned military rule, democratic restoration, opposition politics and two presidential terms.
He said the public presentation would bring together Buhari’s family members, former associates, political leaders, military officers, academics, diplomats, civil society organisations, media practitioners and members of the public.
The unveiling and public presentation of the three-volume biography is scheduled for November 19, 2026, at the Nigeria Army Conference Centre and Suites (NACCAS), Abuja.
