Former Kaduna Central senator in the Fourth Republic, Shehu Sani has come out to speak about the aftermath of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s death.
He recently opened up about the political mood in the North, and the permutations ahead of the 2027 general election.
Speaking during an interview with ISMAEEL UTHMAN, Shehu said that this is the first time in the country’s history when we have experienced emotional responses to the death of a president or former president.
According to him, Nigeria has never experienced a former president’s death generating so much empathy and anger in equal proportion, like we have seen after Buhari’s demise.
He stated that Nigerian leaders should learn from the two extreme reactions following PMB’s death, because it is very telling.
“This is the first time in the history of Nigeria that we are witnessing emotional responses to the death of a president or former president of such magnitude. In the past, we had the killing of Gen. Murtala Muhammed, the deaths of Shehu Shagari, Gen. Sani Abacha, and President Umar Musa Yar’Adua. But never has the death of a former president generated so much empathy and anger in equal proportion as we have seen with the death of President Muhammadu Buhari.
One thing is very clear: we now have a new generation of Nigerians, particularly the Gen-Z, who are unrestrained in their anger, emotions, reactions, and bitterness towards the political establishment.
Going by the kind of posts on social media and the videos in circulation, it clearly shows that Nigerian leaders will have to live and die with the consequences of their records in office. If you look at Nigerians’ reactions to Buhari’s death, you will see that never in the history of Nigeria have we had a president who was so equally loved and hated like Buhari. When Yar’Adua died, the overwhelming reactions were those of sympathy, love, and support. Even where he was wrong, the blame was placed on the cabal that existed at that time.
But in Buhari’s case, you have, on one hand, people praising and eulogising him to high heavens, and on the other hand, people insulting and cursing him. So, Nigerian leaders should learn from these reactions. They should know that people will hold them accountable, not just when they are out of office, but even when they are out of this world,” he said.
Shehu further noted that he does not see any politician inheriting Buhari’s followers after his death, stressing that nobody would want to be crucified for failing.
He concluded by saying that Muhammadu Buhari’s followers will not do for any other Northern politician what they did for Buhari.
“Since the death of Malam Aminu Kano, there has never been a northern political figure who excited the interest of the common people, built a reliable and dependable relationship, and mobilised such fanatical loyalty like Buhari. But in the end, he had to pay the price for that kind of fanatical loyalty—because fanatical loyalty comes with extreme expectations, and if you fail to meet those expectations, you should know that there is a price to pay as a leader.
I don’t think there will be anyone who will be so loved to the point that common people were contributing money for him to run for office and were even paying with their lives, like after Buhari.
If you remember, Buhari started his presidential bid in 2003, and in 2011, when he lost the election, thousands of people lost their lives. His supporters attacked members and sympathisers of the Peoples Democratic Party. Even in Kaduna, dozens were killed, many were imprisoned, and many sacrificed their lives for Buhari.
The anger that followed his death came directly from those who had dedicated and sacrificed their lives for him, but whose expectations were ultimately not met. So, if you are a political leader and have such diehard supporters, just know that you are likely to pay the price. In the North today, there is no one the common people are willing to spend money on or sacrifice their lives for. That is why, since Buhari left office, they have not been keen on rallying behind any politician in northern Nigeria again. Since Aminu Kano, nobody has commanded that kind of mass following and devotion like Buhari.
Nobody will inherit Buhari’s followers because no one would want to be stoned if they fail. No one would want to be cursed or mobbed if they fail. As for Buhari’s followers, they have also learnt their lesson: they will not do for any other northern politician what they did for Buhari, because they did it, and many of them—millions—were not satisfied with the outcome after Buhari spent eight years in power,” he added.
