By Emmanuel Joshua | Legacy Feature | July 15th, 2025
Former President Muhammadu Buhari is dead.
But beyond the policies, politics, and public perceptions, lies another story—one that unfolds not in press conferences or military parades, but in living rooms, school corridors, and quiet family gatherings.
This is the story of Buhari the patriarch, the father of ten, the husband of two remarkable women, and the silent architect of a family that bore witness to both his convictions and contradictions.The Statesman and the Shadows
Muhammadu Buhari’s life was a pendulum between power and quiet retreat.
From his first arrival on the national stage in 1983 as Nigeria’s military ruler to his return as a democratically elected president in 2015, Buhari’s leadership divided opinion across generations. For some, he was “Sai Baba,” the incorruptible general. For others, he embodied authoritarian detachment—infamously quoted as saying “Nigerian youths are lazy.”
And though Buhari formally exited office in 2023, rumours of his death would routinely trend online, even years before his actual passing on July 13, 2025, in a London hospital. One particularly bizarre theory alleged the “real Buhari” died years earlier and had been replaced by a Sudanese double named “Jubril.” This time, however, the news was real.
As Nigeria reacted with everything from reverence to resignation, attention began to shift—not just to what he left behind for the country, but what he left behind at home.
🕊️ A Tale of Two Wives
Safinatu Buhari
![Meet his first wife, Safinatu Buhari [BabbanShafi]](https://image.api.sportal365.com/process/smp-images-production/pulse.ng/14072025/6bf4f175-2a0d-4ee3-90f1-24a2cee2e80d.jpg?operations=fit(1042:))
The Reserved First Lady
Long before Aisha Buhari graced the State House, there was Safinatu Buhari—Buhari’s first wife and the original matriarch of his household.
Born in 1952 and raised in Kaduna, Safinatu married Buhari in 1971 at just 18. Elegant and serene, she quietly filled the role of First Lady when her husband became military Head of State in 1983. She remained largely out of public view, choosing the background over the spotlight.
Their marriage ended in 1988, three years after Buhari was overthrown and imprisoned. The divorce, though largely private, was reportedly due to growing personal and ideological distance.
Safinatu died in 2006 at the age of 54, following a long battle with diabetes. She left behind a legacy of quiet strength and five children.
Aisha Buhari
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The Modern Matriarch
In 1989, Buhari married Aisha Halilu, a confident, outspoken, and ambitious woman nearly three decades his junior. Where Safinatu was quiet, Aisha was vocal. As First Lady from 2015 to 2023, she didn’t hesitate to critique her husband’s administration—a move unprecedented in Nigerian political history.
Aisha studied beauty therapy and public administration and later authored Essentials of Beauty Therapy. She also launched Future Assured, a humanitarian initiative targeting health and development.
Her time in the public eye was marked by feminist debate, cultural pushback, and widespread admiration.
👨👩👧👦 The Children: Between Duty and Distance
With Safinatu, Buhari had five children:
1. Zulaihat “Zulai” Buhari Junaid (1972–2012)
Cherished for her humility, Zulai was an economist and public servant who lived with sickle-cell anaemia. She died at age 40, just two days after childbirth. Her death deeply affected Buhari and the entire nation.
2. Fatima Buhari
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A doctor trained at Ahmadu Bello University, Fatima served in both local and international health sectors. She joined the board of CIFCFEN in 2021, contributing quietly to national development.
3. Hadiza Buhari
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Educated in the UK, Hadiza first married Abdulrahman Kurfi and had six children. In 2022, she quietly married Nigeria’s former Attorney-General, Abubakar Malami. She works with AFRISEI, focusing on women’s empowerment.
4. Safinatu Buhari Jr.
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Named after her mother, Safinatu Jr. studied in the UK and maintains a low profile. Married in 2010, she is the mother of two sons.
5. Musa Buhari
Musa died in childhood due to sickle-cell complications. He remains a quiet but painful memory in the Buhari family’s story.
With Aisha, Buhari had another five children:
1. Zahra Buhari-Indimi
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Zahra is perhaps the most high-profile of Buhari’s children. A graduate of Medical Microbiology from the University of Surrey, Zahra founded ACE Charity Africa, supporting children with sickle-cell anaemia. Her 2016 wedding to Ahmed Indimi, the son of a billionaire oil magnate, was one of the most talked-about ceremonies in Abuja’s political circles.
2. Yusuf Buhari
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Yusuf studied in the UK and is known for surviving a near-fatal power bike crash in 2017. He married Zahra Bayero, daughter of the Emir of Bichi, in 2021—a royal-meets-political union that became a national event.
3. Halima Buhari-Sheriff
A UK-trained lawyer, Halima was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2016. She has worked as a prosecutor and Deputy Director at the Borno State Ministry of Justice. In 2023, she and Zahra received national awards for women’s empowerment.
4. Amina “Noor” Buhari
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Born in 2004, Amina is still pursuing her education and maintains a low public profile. She is said to be studious and grounded, much like her elder siblings.
5. Aisha Buhari (Jnr.)
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The youngest of Buhari’s children, Aisha is still coming of age and has yet to enter public life.
💬 Family First: The Private Legacy of a Public Man
Buhari’s parenting was rooted in discipline. He famously told his daughters they must earn a university degree before marriage, rejecting the notion of inherited privilege. “I am not leaving any money for my children,” he once said, “only education.”
He buried two children, celebrated weddings in royal palaces, and welcomed grandchildren with quiet pride. While his politics stirred protest and praise, his home life was marked by simplicity and traditional order.
🏁 Final Reflections: What Buhari Left Behind
As Nigerians continue to evaluate Muhammadu Buhari’s national legacy, the real test of his values may lie within his family. His children have, for the most part, stayed away from politics and scandal. They’ve pursued careers in medicine, law, humanitarian work, and education. They’ve lived—not lavishly, but intentionally.
The man Nigeria called “Baba” may be gone. But in the lives of those who shared his table and bore his name, his legacy endures—not just in title, but in temperament.
📌 Editor’s Box:
Did You Know?
Buhari’s daughter Halima once prosecuted major cases in Borno State.
Zahra’s wedding was attended by over 30 governors and traditional rulers.
Safinatu Buhari was Nigeria’s First Lady for just two years but remains revered for her quiet strength.
