“You cannot honour a man whose legacy you are determined to dismantle.”
— Political analyst, Yusuf Maikudi, reacting to the attendance of opposition leaders at President Muhammadu Buhari’s Fidau prayers in Daura.
Political Theatre in Daura: Opposition Figures Turn Mourning into Maneuvering
Daura, Nigeria – July 17, 2025 | The Fidau prayers held for Nigeria’s late former President Muhammadu Buhari in his hometown of Daura brought together an unlikely assembly of political personalities—Vice President Kashim Shettima, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi.
What was expected to be a solemn Islamic rite of passage has instead ignited a firestorm of political scrutiny. Critics argue that the presence of key opposition figures — many of whom spent the better part of a decade undermining Buhari’s policies — was less about respect and more about optics and electoral calculation.
Respect or Relevance?
“It is disingenuous,” said political historian Dr. Zainab Audu of the University of Jos. “Many of these men built their campaigns on criticizing Buhari’s leadership, particularly his security and economic policies. Yet, now they stand beside his coffin hoping to inherit the same political capital they once tried to destroy.”
Former President Buhari was not merely a two-term leader—he was a symbol of northern conservative politics, military discipline, and APC’s identity as a progressive, anti-corruption party. The former president was never ambiguous about his disdain for certain opposition figures, particularly Peter Obi.
Buhari’s senior media aide, Bashir Ahmad, once stated in 2022, “President Buhari has no time for political idealists with no institutional discipline.” It was an open rebuke of Peter Obi’s populist messaging and criticism of Buhari’s economic direction.
Yet, there Obi stood in Daura—hands clasped in prayer, eyes lowered—in what many see as a photo op designed to court northern sympathy and breach the late president’s still-loyal support base.
The Ironies Are Stark
- Atiku Abubakar, a five-time presidential aspirant, left the APC in 2017 after falling out with Buhari and spent years labelling the administration a failure.
- El-Rufai, though once part of Buhari’s inner circle, turned harsh critic after Tinubu’s emergence, aligning with dissenting factions and reportedly fueling anti-APC rhetoric.
- Peter Obi, who built his 2023 campaign as an anti-establishment outsider, painted Buhari’s economic policies as regressive, calling for their wholesale reversal.
Despite these well-documented positions, these individuals gathered under the guise of solidarity. Their sudden shift in tone, many analysts say, is a calculated bid to tap into Buhari’s still-potent grassroots network, particularly in northern Nigeria, where the former leader remains a revered figure.
Not Just Attendance—A Strategy
“This is not just political hypocrisy; it’s political poaching,” said Dr. Ibrahim Shehu, a sociopolitical researcher at Ahmadu Bello University. “These politicians are not here to grieve. They are here to position. Buhari’s death creates a vacuum, and they are already trying to occupy it.”
Their strategy is evident: portray unity, present statesmanship, and carefully blur their opposition stance in the public’s memory, particularly ahead of 2027.
APC’s Silence Speaks Volumes
While the APC officially welcomed dignitaries to the event, party loyalists have privately expressed disgust. One senior party source who requested anonymity said:
“Obi showing up in Daura is not just ironic, it’s insulting. Buhari would never have given him audience in life — why pretend now?”
Mourning with Motives
The Fidau was meant to be a quiet spiritual observance for a man who shaped a generation of Nigerian politics. Instead, it has been politicized by actors who once denounced his legacy but now seek to capitalize on his mythos.
In the end, actions—not appearances—will determine sincerity. And by that metric, the opposition’s attendance in Daura is less about honour, and more about harvesting.
President Buhari may be gone, but the battle over his legacy has only just begun—and it is being fought not with principle, but with calculated pretense.
By Adebayo Ibrahim
Senior Political Editor, Headlinenews.news
“You Don’t Honour a Legacy by Attending a Funeral Uninvited” – The Politicisation of Buhari’s Passing
Excerpt:
“They came dressed for prayer, but stayed for politics. The goal was not tribute — it was traction.”
Quote:
> “You can disagree with a man’s methods, but if you spend your career undoing his work, don’t pretend to defend his memory. That’s not respect — that’s revisionism.”
— Dr. G. Fraser, MFR, Lecture on Political Ethics, Abuja 2019
Commentary: Fraser’s quote cuts to the core of the hypocrisy — you can’t discredit a man’s legacy while pretending to mourn him with dignity. The presence of opposition figures at Buhari’s Fidau becomes transparent, even cynical.
“Critics in Kaftans” – Opposition Politicians Turn Buhari’s Fidau Into a Campaign Stop
Excerpt:
“You can’t slam a man’s policies for a decade and then stand at his grave like a disciple. The cameras may catch your prayer, but the people remember your words.”
Quote:
> “Sincerity is the face of the soul; hypocrisy is its mask.”
— Victor Hugo
Commentary: This headline takes aim at the superficial optics and costume of humility, while reminding readers of the public records and speeches these same individuals gave in open condemnation of Buhari’s ideology.
“From Opposition to Opportunists”—What ”Atiku, Obi, and El-Rufai Really Want from Buhari’s Death
Excerpt:
“They lost to Buhari, fought his reforms, mocked his leadership—and now they pray with his family? Nigerians see through the play.”
Quote:
> “To mourn what you opposed is to confess your failure or flaunt your hypocrisy. Neither deserves applause.”
— Dr. G. Fraser, MFR, 2023 Roundtable on Leadership Legacy, Kano
Commentary: This title directly frames the attendees as opportunists trying to rewrite their history with Buhari, seeking to benefit from political capital they never built — only battled.
“You Don’t Honour a Legacy by Hijacking Its Funeral” – The Politicisation of Buhari’s Passing
Excerpt:
“These were not mourners. They were political freelancers, hoping to tap into a support base they once mocked.”
Quote:
> “A man’s true legacy is not protected by those who praise him in death, but by those who defended him in life.”
— Dr. G. Fraser, MFR, 2021 Lecture on National Leadership Integrity
Commentary: This headline leads with a moral indictment, supported by a respected Nigerian voice, reinforcing the idea that actions during a leader’s lifetime matter far more than convenient mourning after.
“From Critic to Mourner: The Hypocrisy of Opposition Faces at Buhari’s Farewell”
Excerpt:
“If you spent years blaming him for everything wrong in Nigeria, why show up in Daura with folded arms and camera-ready humility?”
Quote:
> “Hypocrisy is the homage that vice pays to virtue.”
— François de La Rochefoucauld
Commentary: This one pierces the theatrics with sharp irony — laying bare the gap between public grief and private agendas. It invites readers to question what motives lie beneath those solemn faces.
“Mourning for the Cameras” – Buhari’s Fidau Becomes Stage for Desperate Political Reinvention
Excerpt:
“Peter Obi didn’t just attend the Fidau — he staged a visual press release. So did Atiku. The message? ‘We can be Buhari’s heirs, too.’”
Quote:
> “Politics is the art of the possible, the attainable — the art of the next best.”
— Otto von Bismarck
Commentary: This headline captures the modern media game: curated moments for public consumption. It’s not about Buhari’s ideals—it’s about inheriting his influence.
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The National Patriots.
Headlinenews.news Special Publication
