Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has called for an end to what he described as the politicization of the legacy of former President Muhammadu Buhari, following the recent launch of a book about his lifetime and time in office.
The book, titled Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, has sparked fresh debate about the late president’s record and reignited divisions among members of his former inner circle.
In a statement released on Wednesday titled, “Let President Muhammadu Buhari Rest in Peace”, El-Rufai, expressed concern that the book launch event reflected the same factional lines that existed during Buhari’s lifetime. He noted that one camp was prominently represented at the book launch, while other associates who were equally close to the late president were conspicuously absent.
“Having followed the headlines and images from the event, I felt compelled to make a simple but urgent appeal: let us allow President Buhari to rest in peace,” he wrote.
He cautioned that some of those present at the book launch were long-time critics of Buhari, who now hold high government office, and delivered glowing, but fake tributes during the event.
El-Rufai submitted that the individuals who once blamed Buhari’s administration for nearly every challenge facing Nigeria now appear eager to revise history, perhaps to deflect responsibility for present failures and for their own political gains.
He added that some individuals celebrating Buhari in death, neither had his trust nor his respect in life.
“A careful look at those who dominated the book launch revealed the same factional lines that existed during Buhari’s lifetime,” the statement read, adding that the selective engagement and choice of venue raised red flags about whether the former president’s legacy is being shaped to serve narrow interests rather than historical truth.
While acknowledging that he has not yet read the book and that some media reports may lack context, the former Governor expressed concern that many of the revelations attributed to the late president appear one-sided and unfair, particularly as Buhari is no longer alive to respond.
“Explaining the thoughts and motivations of a complex leader through selective anecdotes risks distorting, rather than preserving, his legacy,” he warned.
El-Rufai further added that while Buhari himself was not perfect, much of his administration’s shortcomings stemmed from the actions and failures of a powerful inner circle, including relatives, advisers, and officials who did not always share the president’s commitment to integrity and public service.
“Buhari himself remained, to the end, a man of deep faith, personal discipline, and unquestioned patriotism,” the statement read, adding that “Those now invoking his name for self-justification should reflect on whether they can claim the same standards.”
El-Rufai, who once served as a Minister, also cautioned against selective storytelling about the life and times of Buhari, calling on Nigerians to let history judge him fairly, without opportunism or revisionism.
“Buhari himself remained, to the end, a man of deep faith, personal discipline, and unquestioned patriotism. Those now invoking his name for self-justification should reflect on whether they can claim the same standards.”
“My appeal here is simple: to all Nigerians: admirers and critics alike—let President Muhammadu Buhari rest in peace. Let history judge him fairly, without opportunism or revisionism. The truest way to honour him is not through selective storytelling, or attempting to exhibit new-found love, but by upholding the values he embodied: simplicity, integrity, humility, and service to Nigeria with all he had, he submitted.