Muhammadu Buhari has twice come to power in Nigeria ¡ª but the circumstances in each case could not be more different. Over 30 years ago, Buhari seized power in a military coup. Last week, voters in Africa¡¯s most populous country and its most vibrant economy returned him to power through the ballot box, marking the first democratic transition in governments in Nigeria¡¯s history. He must now unite a fractious country and restore the people¡¯s faith in their political system.
Buhari was a major general in the Nigerian Army when he seized power in 1983, arguing that ¡°a flawed democracy was worse than no democracy at all.¡± He served as head of state for 18 months, until he too was removed by military officers unhappy with his rule. Ostensibly, they acted because of Buhari¡¯s failure to tackle economic problems; many observers believe, however, that the coup was triggered by fears that Buhari¡¯s anti-corruption campaign would bring them to justice.
Buhari was detained for three years before being released and allowed to resume his political career. Declaring himself ¡°a convert to democracy,¡± Buhari ran three times for president, campaigning to clean up the country¡¯s politics, and losing in 2003, 2007 and 2011. This year, however, opposition parties united in the All Progressives Congress (APC) to take on President Goodluck Jonathan and the People¡¯s Democratic Party (PDP) that he heads and had been holding onto power since 1999.
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