Halima Buhari, daughter of former President Muhammadu Buhari, has revealed that her late father was fully aware of the disappointment many Nigerians felt about his administration. She made this known in Abuja during the public presentation of a book by former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.
According to Halima, Buhari understood that the high expectations placed on him were not fully met, particularly in areas of security and economic management. She explained that governance in Nigeria was far more complex than it appeared, involving difficult compromises and constant pressure.
She said, “Behind every soundbite, there was a human being; sometimes tired, sometimes determined, sometimes frustrated, always painfully aware that his decisions impacted millions of lives.
“That human being was our father. I saw a side of him that never appeared on television and was rarely captured in print.
“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 described her father as a deeply reflective leader who worried about the real-life consequences of his decisions and listened carefully to criticism. Halima stressed that while Nigerians knew him as President Buhari, at home he was simply “Baba,” a man who agonised over the gap between promises and realities.
She added that Buhari’s legacy would continue to be debated, noting that such discussions are essential in a healthy democracy.
“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.
