Hypocrisy in Mourning: Atiku, El-Rufai, Obi Gatecrash Buhari’s Fidau — Politics Under the Guise of Prayer
Daura, July 16, 2025 – The three-day Fidau prayers for former President Muhammadu Buhari drew a curious crowd: Vice President Shettima, representing President Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-governor Nasir El-Rufai, and Peter Obi—iconic opposition figures whose presence seemed to reek of political opportunism.
On paper, their attendance appears to reflect national unity. In practice, it reeks of political theatre. These are among the very people who have spent their careers undermining Buhari’s legacy and the APC he co‑founded. If they genuinely reverenced him, they wouldn’t have spent years denouncing his core achievements—fiscal reforms, anti‑terrorism stance, and anticorruption war—all pillars essential to APC’s progressive vision.
Playing Politics with Piety
Consider the historical tension:
Buhari and Peter Obi never hid their disdain for one another. Buhari’s administration actively sidelined Obi, who responded with public criticism. Yet here he is, today, offering prayers at Buhari’s residence. Why?
Peter Obi is chasing validation. He’s betting that proximity to Buhari’s massive northern and conservative following gives him electoral leverage. But don’t be fooled—this is not about moral respect. It’s about political mileage.
Atiku and El‑Rufai, too, are guilty. They posture as mourners, yet behind closed doors, they’ve spearheaded opposition coalitions explicitly engineered to dismantle Buhari’s APC from the inside out .
El‑Rufai, once a key APC governor, now hammers the party’s current leadership. Atiku’s 2027 bid depends on peeling off APC base. Their attendance is a bid to poach. That’s their game, and they want us to call it reverence.
Numbers Don’t Lie
In the 2023 election, former APC governors won 12 states under Buhari’s legacy, while Obi’s Labour Party captured just 11 states and the FCT—despite uniting youthful urban votes in his favor. This tactical positioning at Buhari’s Fidau is an admission: they need his brand and following, and they’re scrambling to latch on.
The Real Test: Actions, Not Appearances
Let’s be honest: If these politicians truly cared about Buhari’s legacy and Nigeria’s future, they wouldn’t be campaigning against APC’s core achievements:
- Security and anticorruption: Buhari pushed hard on Boko Haram and graft. APC remains defined by that fight.
- Fiscal responsibility: Buhari introduced debt thresholds and spending discipline. Obi, Atiku, and El‑Rufai slam those austerity measures as “harsh.”
By denigrating those policies, they purposely obstruct the vision Buhari built. Their Fidau attendance is a cheap masquerade.
The Ultimate Hypocrisy
They stand and pray beside Buhari’s casket, then retreat and criticize the party that sustained him. They exploit religious rites to appear compassionate, masking a deeper ambition: inheriting Buhari’s base without embracing his ideals. That’s hypocritical—worse, cynical.
Hollow Mourning, Real Ambition
At the end of the day, this isn’t about morality—it’s about marketing. Atiku, El‑Rufai, Obi want to be photographed as mourners, because grief equals relevance. But if their agenda was sincere, they’d join hands with the APC to build on Buhari’s foundation—not tear it down.
Bottom Line: Don’t be fooled by a few hours of televised prayer. These figures are ready to bury Buhari’s legacy the moment the cameras go off. Attendance does not equal honor—when Politicians pray, ask: what are they planning?
Dr. G. Fraser. MFR
The National Patriots
Headlinenews.news Special report.
Exposing the political opportunism at Buhari’s Firdau Prayers.
“Mourning or Marketing?” – Buhari’s Fidau as a Stage for Political Theatre
Excerpt:
“These were not mourners in Daura — they were legacy-hunters, attempting to rebrand themselves by standing beside the man they spent years tearing down.”
Quote:
> “Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable.”
— George Orwell
Commentary: Orwell’s sharp observation captures the entire charade: opposition leaders using the language of grief to launder years of betrayal. It’s not mourning—it’s message control.
“When the Opposers Become the Grievers”—Buhari”’s Legacy Is Not a Ladder
Excerpt:
“You don’t spend your political life undermining a man’s vision and then borrow his memory to climb into public favour. Buhari’s Fidau was never theirs to claim.”
Quote:
> “Hypocrisy is the homage that vice pays to virtue.”
— François de La Rochefoucauld
Commentary: This quote pierces the mask. These politicians aren’t honouring Buhari — they’re borrowing his name to access what they couldn’t win with their own.
“Fidau of the Faithless” – Desperation Dressed as Reverence in Daura
Excerpt:
“The real mourners were quiet. The loudest ones were calculating. The same voices who spent a decade defaming Buhari came with cameras and kaftans, hoping to absorb his base.”
Quote.
> “Funerals in Nigerian politics are never about the dead. They are auditions for the living.”
— Dr. G. Fraser, MFR, Political Analyst, Governance Consultant, Perception Management expert.
Commentary: Dr. Fraser nails the point: these politicians didn’t show up because they respected Buhari — they showed up because they fear being forgotten without him.
The National Patriots.
Headlinenews.news Special report.
HEADLINENEWS.NEWS
COMMENTARY.
“They Fought His Legacy, Now They Flatter His Memory” – Political Opportunism at Buhari’s Fidau
Excerpt:
“You can’t attack the foundation and then try to inherit the house. These men undermined Buhari in office — now they stand in Daura with rosaries and rehearsed regret.”
Quote:
> “If your loyalty to a leader only begins at their funeral, you were never loyal. You were waiting for the crowd.”
— Dr. G. Fraser, MFR, Public Ethics Forum, 2022
Commentary: This title punches through the PR curtain and lays bare the real agenda — reclaiming political relevance through carefully staged ‘mourning.’
“From Condemning Buhari to Commodifying His Death” – When Opposition Turns Opportunist
Excerpt:
“The same voices who called Buhari’s policies ‘tyrannical’ now rush to honour him with televised grief. It’s not respect. It’s market strategy.”
Quote:
> “You cannot build credibility on the ashes of a legacy you helped burn.”
— Dr. G. Fraser, MFR, National Integrity Lecture, Ilorin, 2021
Commentary: A cold, clear analysis of how political actors are trying to harvest Buhari’s cult following without carrying any of his burden or beliefs.
“Fidau for Show: The Politics Behind the Prayers” – Why the Opposition Showed Up in Daura
Excerpt:
“This wasn’t about faith. It was about frame control — the image of piety to mask years of open hostility to the man and everything he built.”
Quote.
> “In Nigeria, funerals reveal more about ambition than affection. The question isn’t who prayed. It’s who planned the headlines.”
— Dr. G. Fraser, MFR, Lagos Policy Roundtable, 2023
Commentary: This drives home the central tension—the calculated attempt to step into Buhari’s shadow without ever having stood by him in daylight.
The National Patriots.
Headlinenews.news Special report.
