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Jonathan to Lead Unveiling of Buhari’s Three-Volume Authorised Biography as Tinubu, Gowon, Abdulsalami Join Abuja Event
Jonathan to Lead Unveiling of Buhari’s Three-Volume Authorised Biography as Tinubu, Gowon, Abdulsalami Join Abuja Event
Former President Goodluck Jonathan will lead the presentation of a three-volume authorised biography of late President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on November 19, with President Bola Tinubu expected as guest of honour.
Former Niger Republic President Mahamadou Issoufou will chair the ceremony, while former Heads of State Yakubu Gowon and Abdulsalami Abubakar are among prominent personalities whose forewords feature in the publication.
The three volumes document Buhari’s early life, military career, return to democratic politics, eight-year presidency from 2015 to 2023 and his administration’s record across key sectors.
Chief biographer Udu Yakubu says Buhari authorised the project and participated extensively, but the author retained editorial independence in documenting the late president’s life, achievements and controversies.
November 12, () – 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 ceremony is expected to attract prominent political leaders, former heads of state, military officers, diplomats, academics, members of Buhari’s family, former associates and representatives of various sectors.
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. The three volumes also feature forewords by Issoufou, former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, and former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.
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He said the organisers were determined to make the presentation broader than a gathering of Buhari’s political associates, noting that the former president’s life and public service deserved to be documented as part of Nigeria’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,” Adamu said.
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He added that the event would bring together members of Buhari’s family, former colleagues, political associates, military officers, academics, diplomats, private sector representatives, civil society organisations, media practitioners and members of the general public.
The publication, titled Muhammadu Buhari: The Authorised Biography, was authorised by Buhari 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 the former president, 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 victory in the 2015 presidential election.
The second volume, Buhari: The Presidency, chronicles his eight years in office between 2015 and 2023.
The third volume, Buhari: The Reckoning, examines his administration’s record in critical 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, emphasising the importance of preserving the volumes as resources for historical research and national documentation.
He called on universities, libraries, research institutions, military and security establishments, public agencies and diplomatic missions to acquire copies for research and the benefit of future generations.
“We invite Nigerians to approach these volumes with curiosity rather than with predetermined conclusions,” he said.
Speaking at the press conference, the author and chief biographer, Udu Yakubu, explained that Buhari’s authorisation of the project facilitated access to individuals, personal recollections and documentary records that would otherwise have been difficult to obtain.
However, he stressed that the former president’s involvement did not compromise the biographer’s independence or control over the historical account.
“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,” Yakubu said.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari
He explained that the biography accommodated Buhari’s personal perspective while retaining the author’s responsibility to independently examine his life and political record.
“The subject has had his voice in the biography, while the biographer has had or retained his independence,” he said.
Yakubu said maintaining that distinction was particularly important given the sharply divided public perceptions of Buhari’s leadership.
“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,” he added.
Buhari, who governed Nigeria from 2015 to 2023, defeated Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election, making him the first opposition candidate to defeat an incumbent president in Nigeria’s electoral history.
Jonathan conceded defeat before the final announcement of the results, a development widely regarded as a significant moment in the country’s democratic transition.
Before his return to democratic politics, Buhari served as military Head of State from December 1983 to August 1985, following the coup that ousted the civilian administration of President Shehu Shagari.
He subsequently contested several presidential elections before emerging victorious in 2015 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
His eight-year administration pursued policies and programmes in infrastructure development, agriculture, social investment, security and anti-corruption.
His presidency also attracted considerable public debate over economic management, insecurity, unemployment, governance and the rising cost of living.
Buhari died in July 2025, two years after completing his second term in office.
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