It was the year 2015, my hopes were high, expectations hitting the skies. General Muhammadu Buhari won the general election and emerged as the President of Africa’s most populous country. I wrote an article titled 3 proofs God made Buhari president. It quickly gained decent viewership with comments. About a day or two later, Conrad Mbewe wrote an article titled Goodluck Jonathan runs out of good luck and I was right there in the comments section of his article sharing the link to mine.
A few weeks ago, Nigerians received the sad news of President Buhari’s death. My mind was moving between a brief feeling of sadness and the question of whether the Jubril of Sudan story was true. If the Sudan story was true, then this would be the perfect timing for his death. So, am I being deceived into mourning someone who had died many years ago? Wait! Is there even a reason to mourn, whether he died now or many years ago? What did he do for Nigeria?
This article is not to tell the good or bad things President Buhari did. Rather, it is a sequel to my first article above, since it is fitting to reconsider once again, the value of time, the purpose of influence and how we respond to them. Also, this article is a self-reflection of the lessons I have learned in 10 years.
#1 Put No Trust in Man
Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.
Psalm 146:3
General Buhari was a fortress of hope to a nation damaged by terrorism. Boko Haram had been kidnapping people and it was as though Nigeria was on the brink of collapse.
Buhari came with several promises that cut across every sector. Many would have sworn that Buhari would improve the nation’s security, power, economy and productivity. Many of those who completely trusted in Buhari lost hope in him in his 2nd term. Some have now gone ahead to replace Buhari with Tinubu or Peter Obi as that beacon of hope that would change Nigeria, but the truth is that these men cannot turn the affairs of Nigeria for good. Only God can, and when He pleases, He will use whomsoever He wishes to change Nigeria for good.
#2 Death respects no one
“How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished!”
2 Samuel 1:27
King David made this remark when Saul and Jonathan died in battle. While it’s a given that everyone will die, sometimes life plays tricks on us. Some individuals are privileged to receive much honour and splendour making it difficult to put their names and death in the same sentence.
Buhari was a travelling president. He spent 407 days abroad and 217 days mostly for medical visits. Alas and alack, everyone will go, no matter the number of medical trips they make to London or Paris. While life is worth fighting for by every means, death is still a leveller.
The good news is that one day death itself will die. It will be swallowed up in victory. Death will have no sting for those who put their faith in Christ Jesus.
#3 The brevity of influence
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.
Ecclesiastes 9:10
After writing my final Law School papers at Agbani, most students travelled the next day, while some stayed a few more days for logistical reasons. I was part of the latter group. One morning, I woke up to an abandoned hostel. White papers were scattered across the streets and rooms. It was a ghost of what I had seen just days before. Some footprints made during that time would remain, but much would fade away, and whatever was left undone was probably gone forever.
So it is with the tenure and life of President Buhari (and indeed, every one). While his legacy remains, the influence he could have had and the influence he actually had are now buried in history. The people he could have fought for, the people he fought for, the roads he could have built, and the roads he built, all are now written in our memories and in countless blog posts that, each day, will keep disappearing one by one.
Eventually, the man who said “I belong to everybody, and I belong to nobody” now belongs to his Maker. Farewell President Muhammadu Buhari!
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