Nigeria has declared Tuesday, 15 July 2025, a national public holiday to honour the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away at the age of 82 in a London clinic, following years of declining health.
According to the Minister of Interior, the holiday offers an occasion for citizens to reflect on the legacy and leadership of the former Head of State. Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State, who returned from London after visiting Buhari’s family, announced that the burial would take place on this Tuesday afternoon in Daura, Buhari’s hometown, located 80 kilometres from the Katsina state capital.
Despite his status as a former president, Buhari will not be accorded a state funeral. Islamic cleric Abdullahi Garangamawa explained that in keeping with Islamic customs, Buhari would be buried promptly in a simple ceremony. His remains will be flown directly from London to Katsina airport before being transported to Daura for interment. Mourners have already gathered at his residence, while logistical delays shifted the funeral from its initially expected Monday schedule.
Tributes have poured in from across Nigeria’s political spectrum. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a week of national mourning, including the lowering of all national flags to half-mast. In his tribute, Tinubu lauded Buhari’s service to the country and commitment to principle. Former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Ibrahim Babangida also eulogised him, with Jonathan calling him selfless and patriotic, and Babangida describing him as a moral compass who maintained modesty even in retirement.
Buhari’s political life was defined by two major leadership roles—first as a military ruler in the 1980s and later as Nigeria’s democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023. He made history in 2015 by becoming the first opposition leader to unseat a sitting president through the ballot box. As Nigeria prepares to lay him to rest, his legacy as a soldier, statesman, and austere reformer continues to stir reflection across the nation.