17 Amazing Things You Didn't Know About Gen Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria's President-Elect

By getting more than 15 million votes to
Goodluck Jonathan’s almost 13, General
Muhammadu Buhari becomes the first man to
overthrow (by the poll) a sitting Nigerian
president.

Naij.com offers you to look at 17
things you may not know about ‘Peoples
General’.
All Progressives Congress presidential candidate
becomes the first man in Nigeria’s 16-year
fourth republic to overthrow a PDP aspirant.

For the first time, Buhari is no longer a leader of
northern Nigeria. Statistics of this election show
former military ruler now has the national
approval he sorely lacked.

This is the first time in four attempts that Buhari
has won more than one state in the north-
central zone. Before now, he never won a state
in the southwest.

Read some interesting facts below:

He is the 23rd child in his family. Buhari was
raised by his mother, after his father died when
he was about three or four years old.

He had 10 children (two are deceased). Buhari
married twice, each wife born him 5 children.

Buhari assumed military training in three
countries: the United States, India and the
United Kingdom.

He raised cattle as a young boy.
Buhari has eight military medals.

He knew his successor, Ibrahim Babangida, was
going to overthrow his administration.

He was jailed by Babangida for nearly four
years.

The mother of the former military ruler died in
1988 while he was in imprisonment and was not
allowed to attend her funeral.

Buhari was one of the two private African
individuals to be invited to US President, Barack
Obama’s inauguration.

In 1983, when Chadian forces invaded Borno
State, Buhari used soldiers under his command
to chase them out of the country, crossing into
Chadian territory in spite of an order given by
President Shehu Shagari to remove.

He denied an offer to work with the late
President Umaru Yar’Adua’s administration.

He appointed the current Senate President as
the Governor of Niger State in 1984.

In March 1976, the Head of State, General
Olusegun Obasanjo, appointed Buhari as the
Federal Commissioner (position now called
Minister) for Petroleum and Natural Resources.

At 72, he would be the oldest person to ever rule
Nigeria. The youngest was Gen. Yakubu Gowon
at the age of 32.

He is the third Fulani person to rule Nigeria.
He had military training alongside a former Chief
Justice of Nigeria, Aloysius Katsina-Alu.

Buhari has been a candidate in every election
since 2003. Twice as the candidate of the All
Nigeria Peoples’ Party (ANPP) and once as the
candidate of the Congress for Progressive
Change (CPC).

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