Tinubu, Jonathan, ex-Niger President to unveil Buhari biography

Former President Muhammadu Buhari. Photo credit: State House

Former President Goodluck Jonathan will lead the presentation of Muhammadu Buhari: The Authorised Biography at a public event scheduled for Abuja on Thursday, November 19, 2026, with President Bola Tinubu expected to attend as the guest of honour.

The chairman of the planning committee and former Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, disclosed this on Wednesday during a press conference in Abuja.

He said the event would be chaired by former Niger Republic President Mahamadou Issoufou.

The three-volume biography features forewords by Issoufou, former Head of State, Gen Yakubu Gowon, another former Head of State, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar.

Adamu said the occasion was conceived as more than a political gathering.

He stated, “We are deliberately seeking to make the occasion broader than a gathering of political associates. Muhammadu Buhari was a partisan political actor during important periods of his life, but his biography belongs to the historical record of Nigeria.

“For that reason, we hope the presentation will draw participation from across political, regional, professional and institutional lines.

“The family, associates, colleagues, former officials, members of the political class, the military community, academia, the diplomatic community, the private sector, civil society, the media and the wider reading public.”

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Adamu urged universities, libraries, research institutions, military and security agencies, diplomatic missions and other public institutions to acquire the biography and make it accessible to students, researchers and future generations.

He also called on Nigerians to read the volumes with open minds rather than preconceived opinions.

The former minister said, “We regard it as important that universities, libraries, research institutions, military and security institutions, public agencies, diplomatic missions and other repositories of national memory acquire the volumes and make them available to students, researchers and future generations.

“We invite Nigerians to approach these volumes with curiosity rather than with predetermined conclusions.”

The biography was authorised by the late former President Muhammadu Buhari during his lifetime, with the former leader actively participating in its development through extensive interviews and research engagements.

It also draws on years of documentary research and interviews with people who knew, worked with, opposed or advised him.

The first volume, Buhari: The Phenomenon, chronicles his early life, military career, tenure as military Head of State and prolonged opposition politics, culminating in his victory in the 2015 presidential election.

The second volume, Buhari: The Presidency, examines his eight-year administration from 2015 to 2023, while the third, Buhari: The Reckoning, assesses his record in the economy, security, infrastructure, foreign affairs, anti-corruption, institutional reforms and social policy.